"Daddy, I want salmon. I want the tasty, buttery kind," Lilith murmured, curling comfortably into Griffin's arms as she spoke, her voice soft but filled with longing for a proper meal.
Griffin didn't even pause to consider it. "If you're craving salmon, sweetheart, just tell your mother or the house staff to prepare it. That's an easy request."
Lilith's lips pushed into a small pout. However, instead of answering immediately, she cast a hesitant glance toward Luci Pearl, her expression flickering with something uneasy, almost fearful.
She said nothing at first, but the silent look carried more meaning than words ever could.
After a brief pause, Lilith lowered her gaze and spoke in a small, subdued voice. "It's okay, Daddy… I don't really need salmon. I won't starve without it."
Griffin caught the shift in her tone instantly. His brows drew together as he slowly lifted his head, his sharp gaze locking onto Luci Pearl.
"Luci Pearl," he said, his voice calm but edged with unmistakable authority, "are you refusing to let Solenn eat salmon? Or is Monreal Industries about to collapse overnight? Have we reached a point where we can't even afford to give my daughter a proper meal?"
Luci Pearl stiffened, the accusation catching her off guard. A flicker of panic crossed her face before she quickly forced herself to remain composed.
"Griffin, you're misunderstanding me," she said hurriedly, her voice laced with strained patience. "I'm only worried about Solenn's health. She's always been delicate. Eating something like salmon in the evening might be too heavy for her digestion. What if it triggers discomfort or worse? I only suggested oatmeal porridge because it's gentle on her stomach."
Lilith immediately wrinkled her nose, clearly unimpressed.
"I don't want oatmeal," she said bluntly. "The doctor said I need more protein if I want to grow taller."
Griffin rarely denied his daughter's wishes, especially when they were perfectly reasonable. Hearing her words, his expression darkened further.
"Solenn rarely shows interest in food," he said firmly. "If she finally asks for something, she should have it. A small serving of salmon won't harm her."
He paused briefly before adding in a colder tone, "And if you don't feel like preparing it yourself, then instruct the staff to do it. There's absolutely no reason to refuse her."
Without waiting for Luci Pearl's response, Griffin shifted Lilith more securely in his arms and walked past her, heading toward the stairs with decisive strides.
Behind them, Luci Pearl followed in silence, fury burning in her chest. Her teeth clenched so tightly that her jaw ached.
How had everything changed so suddenly? After just one hospital visit, Solenn's behavior had become completely different.
Just like that woman… Althea.
The thought filled Luci Pearl with bitter resentment. It was as if Althea's shadow continued to haunt her life, ruining everything she had carefully tried to control.
Under Griffin's direct orders, the kitchen staff wasted no time. Before long, the dining table was filled with an array of beautifully plated salmon dishes—grilled salmon glazed with honey butter, delicate salmon sashimi, creamy salmon pasta, and steamed salmon seasoned to perfection. The aroma alone was mouthwatering.
Griffin, however, remained upstairs in his study, buried in company documents and urgent matters that demanded his immediate attention.
The moment the dishes were placed on the table, Lilith's stomach let out a faint but undeniable growl. The airline food earlier had been barely edible, and after landing, she had spent hours waiting through Althea's long and exhausting surgery. By now, hunger gnawed at her fiercely.
Growing up with Althea meant living around unpredictable schedules. With her mother constantly busy saving lives, meals were rarely served at fixed times. Over the years, Lilith and Silas had grown used to eating whenever food was available, often setting aside a portion for Althea to eat later when she finally returned home.
Starving and impatient, Lilith didn't hesitate. She hopped off her seat and toddled toward the dining table. Grabbing a fork with practiced familiarity, she eagerly reached out toward a perfectly cooked piece of salmon, the rich scent making her mouth water in anticipation.
Before the salmon could even touch her lips, Luci Pearl noticed.
Her expression darkened instantly. Fury surged across her face as she stormed toward Lilith without the slightest hesitation. With a sharp, forceful motion, she struck Lilith's hand.
The sudden blow knocked the fork from Lilith's grasp. It clattered loudly against the polished floor as the piece of salmon slipped off and landed beside it, the delicate fillet breaking apart upon impact.
But Luci Pearl's anger didn't stop there.
"Solenn!" she snapped, her voice slicing through the dining room like a whip. "What do you think you're doing? Have you completely forgotten the rules of the Monreal household?"
She stepped closer, towering over Lilith, her expression twisted with rage.
"Your father hasn't even taken his seat yet, and you're already helping yourself to food? Who taught you such disgraceful manners?"
The hatred in Luci Pearl's eyes was unmistakable. She looked less like a mother scolding her child and more like someone confronting an enemy she desperately wanted to crush.
Standing frozen in place, Lilith felt a chill run through her.
At that moment, she became completely certain that without needing any DNA test, Luci Pearl was not Solenn's biological mother.
Because no real mother would ever look at her child with such loathing.
Her own mother, Althea, had never once looked at her like that. Even during the rare moments when Althea scolded her, there had always been warmth beneath the sternness, never this cold, suffocating hostility.