novelraw Chapter 108: Potential partner
Chapter 108: Potential partner
"Why am I wearing this again?" Amanda groaned as she sat before the mirror.
The cause of her annoyance was the blue dress her mother had made her wear so early in the morning. It practically guaranteed she was about to be dragged into some unsavory meeting or gathering.
"There are a few guests arriving. Being the heiress of the family, you need to be presentable, right?" her mother replied gently, resting her hands on Amanda’s shoulders.
Amanda sighed. She had woken up late, and her mother hadn’t even given her the chance to call Kyle.
Instead, she had been hurried into a bath and forced into these stiff clothes.
"Ah, I had forgotten how beautiful my daughter looks," the older woman murmured in delight as she admired Amanda through the mirror.
Her glossy, mid-back-length raven hair fell freely over her left shoulder. A blue earring adorned her exposed right ear. With only a touch of makeup on her doll-like face, she looked breathtaking.
Amanda took out her phone, intending to take a picture. Now that she had gone out of her way to get ready, she could at least let one person see her, someone whose opinion might make all this effort worthwhile.
Just then, her mother urged, "Come on, now. They’ve arrived and are waiting for us."
Amanda clicked her tongue, setting her phone down on the dresser. She decided to send Kyle the pictures later. He was probably still sleeping, considering how exhausted he must be.
Following her mother, Amanda headed downstairs.
As she stepped into the reception hall, she noticed a middle-aged couple seated across the entrance. To their left sat a man in his early twenties.
Something about it felt off.
Still, she held back her judgment and allowed her mother to guide her forward. She took a seat beside her father.
"Ah, here you are, my lovely daughter," Hades said with a smile, taking her hand. Then he turned to the others.
" Trevor, this is Amanda. And Amanda, you must have heard about him from me. He is Trevor Evergrass, and his wife, Melissa."
Amanda nodded. She had heard that name a few times from her father. If she remembered correctly, Trevor Evergrass was involved in transportation and supply, with close ties to Maylith and several influential families.
Then her father turned to the young man at the side. "And that young man is—"
"Please, let me introduce myself, uncle," the grey-haired man interrupted with a polite smile.
Hades didn’t mind and gestured for him to go ahead.
The man looked at Amanda. "My name is Cooper. I graduated from Triatan University of Medical Science and am currently pursuing a master’s in microbiology. I’m twenty-three, and I enjoy painting as a hobby."
Amanda grimaced. "Hey. I’m Amanda." Why was he presenting his achievements as if hoping for a job from Amanda? And what’s with that creepy smile? Disgusting.
Her dry response caught both the Maylith couple off guard, their smiles turning stiff.
The Evergrass couple exchanged a glance as well, clearly surprised.
Cooper, however, remained unfazed and continued with an easy smile. "I’ve heard a lot about you from my family and a few friends. Carton is in your class, right?"
Amanda sighed, then turned to her father. "What am I doing here?"
Her voice wasn’t low enough to keep the others from hearing.
Hades’ smile froze as he leaned closer and whispered, "Try to get along with him, dear. He is a potential partner of yours—"
"What?!" Amanda shot to her feet, her voice rising without restraint.
Everyone flinched. The lady of the house pressed a hand to her forehead.
Amanda stared at her father. "You really called them here to discuss my marriage?"
Trevor exchanged a glance with his wife. "Hades...? You didn’t talk about this with your daughter?"
Hades turned to Amanda. "I told you last night. And you agreed."
Amanda’s frown deepened. When had she ever agreed to something like this? Even if things with Kyle were unsettled, she would never consider getting engaged to ano—ugh. The thought alone made her nauseous.
"Wait a minute. Let’s keep things calm," Cooper said, surprisingly composed, his smile never wavering.
He turned to the blue-eyed girl. "I believe there’s been some miscommunication between you two. Since I’m already here, why don’t we talk for a bit and see if—"
"Are you insane? I’m already in a relationship with someone."
Amanda’s words struck like a blow, leaving the entire room stunned.
Even Hades couldn’t believe what he had just heard. Hadn’t she broken up with her previous boyfriend? She had seemed so down these past few days.
He had thought this was the perfect time for her to move on, and when she agreed last night to meet new people, it had given him hope.
Amanda glanced at her father before saying, "I am going back to my room."
No one stopped her. It wasn’t as if she would have listened even if they tried.
Once she left, Hades turned to his friend. "Trevor... I..."
"It’s alright, Hades." Trevor rose from his seat, his wife following shortly after. "I understand the situation, and I can see where you were coming from."
Hades’ shoulders slumped. "Still, I apologize for all of this. I’m the one at fault here." He had been too hasty. He should have spoken to his daughter properly before inviting them.
Trevor smiled and placed a reassuring hand on Hades’ shoulder. "We were planning to visit you anyway. Let’s just call this a meeting between friends."
Hades nodded slowly. He truly had a good friend in Trevor.
The two women had also begun chatting, both clearly flustered by how everything had unfolded.
Meanwhile, Cooper remained where he was, his gaze fixed on the staircase Amanda had just climbed.
A slow grin stretched across his lips as he muttered, "Interesting. I want to see more of her."
....
Amanda returned to her room and slammed the door shut.
Her heart felt heavy, her brows drawn tight in a constant frown. Displeasure simmered through her.
How... just how could he do this to her?
To even think that she could belong to anyone other than Kyle. That she could stand beside someone else. That anyone else could even touch her.
As she stepped further into the room, her gaze fell on her reflection.
The blue dress clung to her body. She had worn this for...
Disgust surged in her chest. Her eyes darkened as her hand rose to her shoulder.
"I don’t like this... I don’t want this!"
She yanked at the dress, her strength ripping through the thick fabric in one harsh pull.
Both hands moved without restraint as she tore it apart, shredding it piece by piece. Every layer she had worn for that bastard came apart under her fury.
She pulled off the earring in haste, drawing a slight sting as her earlobe began to bleed. Then she rushed into the bathroom, splashing water over her face, wiping away the makeup she no longer wanted.
She hated this. Even the thought of it made her sick.
Her heart pounded restlessly as she stared at her reflection.
She wanted to see him.
She wanted to see Kyle.