10: Auden’s Indifference

I fled from that bedroom in hurt. The tears blinded my vision as I practically fell down the grand staircase, my chest heaving with every ragged breath. The worst part wasn't even the fact that he was with another woman. It was the fact that he didn’t stop. The moment his eyes locked onto mine, he deliberately chose to continue pacing with that brutal, cold speed.

It means he wanted me to be hurt. He wanted to break me entirely. How could he push me away so harshly in the car, then turn around and kiss me like his life depended on it, only to show me this unbothered indifference the very next morning?

I hit the bottom of the stairs, wiping the hot tears from my face as I rushed toward the front foyer, desperate to escape the suffocating walls of the Rothwell mansion.

"Mireya?"

A sharp voice cut through the silence. I froze, turning my head to see Ysa standing near the dining room entrance, a coffee mug gripped tightly in her hand. Her eyes narrowed instantly as she took in my appearance, her expression twisting into irritation. She walked over and hissed directly in my face.

"What the hell are you doing here? I thought I made it perfectly clear that we are no longer best friends. That means you are no longer allowed to come here. Get out of my house."

I forced my voice to remain steady, masking the devastating ache in my heart with a hard, defensive armor. "I don't want to be here any more than you want me here, Ysa," I lied smoothly, forcing a bitter smile onto my face. "I was completely drenched last night in the rain and needed shelter. But don't worry, I am leaving. Just remember, this place belongs to your father, not you."

I didn't wait to see her reaction. I pushed through the door and left, stepping out into the morning without looking back.

I was barely three blocks away from the estate when my phone began to vibrate in my hand. I glanced at the screen, a dread settling into my stomach as my father's caller ID flashed brightly. I took a deep breath and slid the screen to answer.

"Mireya! Where the hell are you?" my father's furious voice echoed through the speaker before I could even say a word. "Your stepmother has been hysterical all morning! She is complaining that you threw a tantrum, embarrassed Phills. I need a good answer for all this complaining right now!"

"I'm on my way to see you, Dad," I said evenly, keeping my tone perfectly controlled. "Don't listen to Evelyn. I'm coming to your office to explain."

I didn't head home. Going back to the compound meant facing Evelyn's slaps and threats, and I was entirely done being the victim. Instead, I caught a taxi and went straight to my father's office downtown.

When I pushed open the doors of his private suite, my father was pacing behind his desk. He looked at me with deep, simmering anger, his arms crossed over his chest.

"You better have an incredible explanation for this, Mireya. Phill’s family is threatening to pull their investments completely. Evelyn says you've ruined our only opportunity."

"Evelyn only knows what Phills wants her to know," I replied, closing the office door behind me.

He stopped his pacing, his eyes cutting to mine. "What is that supposed to mean? Do you have any idea how much pressure we are under?"

I sat down in the chair across from him, leaning forward. I had always been the honest, compliant daughter, but as I looked at the fury in his eyes, I realized that honesty would only get me sold off to the highest bidder. I had come to realize that sometimes, to survive in this world, I needed to lie. And I was going to construct the perfect lie.

"Dad, Evelyn doesn't know the truth," I started, my voice soft, laced with a calculated vulnerability that made him stop pacing. "The reason I want out of this relationship, is because Phills tried to destroy me."

My father's brows furrowed, his demeanor shifting from outright anger to dark suspicion. "What are you talking about? Phills has given this family everything."

"Phills had told the butler of the Rothwell family to force his way into me," I stated firmly, looking him dead in the eye.

I completely omitted the fact that it was actually Ysa who had given me the Lust Drug. A sick part of me still wanted to protect her from her father’s wrath, but more than that, I omitted her name because of Auden. If my father found out Ysa was involved, he would drag Auden's empire into the mud, and despite the destruction of my heart this morning, I couldn't bear to ruin the man I craved.

"I managed to fight the butler off and escape," I continued, watching my father's expression shift from confusion to sudden shock. "But Phills was furious that his plan failed. He had been recording me through the cameras while I was trapped in that room, trying to survive. When I escaped, he took that footage, edited the video to make it look like I was begging for it, and now he is blackmailing me with it."

My father's jaw dropped, his hands dropping heavily to his desk. "Blackmail? He's using a video against you?"

"Yes," I pressed on, channeling all my real pain and hurt into the performance. "He told me if I don't stay with him, he will leak the tampered video and ruin Aura & Veil Luxury completely.” I said.

“What?” My father roared.

“Is this is the kind of son-in-law you truly wants for this family. A man who tries to assault your daughter and then blackmails her with a fake recording?"

My father's chest heaved, his face turning a  shade of red as he balled his fist so tightly. "He dares to threaten your mother's company? He dares to threaten my family?"

"He thinks we are desperate enough to accept it," I whispered, driving the final nail into the coffin.

He slammed his balled fist directly onto the  desk.

"That piece of shit. Anything you have to do with Phills, cut it off completely. Do not answer his calls, and do not look in his direction. I'll crush him myself." My father commanded.

I sat back in the chair, a slow, dark satisfaction settling deep into my chest. I had lied completely, twisting the narrative to protect Auden's family while weaponizing my father's pride against Phills, but my plans worked perfectly.

As I looked at my father's furious form, a chilling realization washed over me. Lying is so much better for survival, and I'll definitely try getting used to it.