THREE

LOCATION: CARRINGTON'S MANSION

TIME: SUNDAY DINNER TIME

"Sit back down this instant," William commanded. She looked around at the faces of the people she shared the table with, and she could tell that they were all telling one thing, and that was that she better sit down at once. She swallowed and sat down, facing her father. In as much as she always tried her best to obey him, she was not going to let him have his way this time around. This was not going to be in her favour in any way, and she could not just knowingly walk into it. 

"You would listen to me, and you would do what I say," he added. She shook her head at him. 

"Lila, listen to your father," Eleanor said. 

"But mom..." Lila whined. She could not believe how easily her mother had switched sides. She was just definitely on her side a moment ago, but all of a sudden she was telling her to bow her head and listen to her father because apparently, he was the one who had the final say. 

"There is no but here. I think it would be best if you listened to your father," Tom said for the first time that night. He had been quiet but also super grateful that his daughter was not the one being sent in there. He would definitely not be as daring as his brother to send his daughter into the camp of the enemy.

"Uncle Tom, why don't we let Amelia get married to him? I mean, she is way older than I am and she is yet to be married, I do think this would be a very great opportunity for her to finally start a family." 

"Lila, why are you being so insolent?" Tom asked, slamming his palm to the table. He was not a fan of her bringing up his daughter. 

"Insolent? Are you not planning to give Amelia away in marriage?" she asked now, facing her uncle. Amelia was her cousin, and she had spoiled every single wedding arrangement that had been made for her. Everyone in the family knew that she had always wanted to live an unmarried and childless life, and everyone just avoided it as if it were not really important. "What have I said that is so wrong? She should have been married at the same time that Victoria got married," she added with a shrug. She took up her spoon and scooped up a spoonful of soup and shoved it in her mouth before dropping it down aggressively to the table. 

"LILA!" Willaims said calling his daughter to order. "I know that you think that you are special and big enough to do whatever you want to do, but I promise you right now and right here that if you refuse to get married to Levi Beaumont, you will lose your job as CEO and would be removed from the family registry," he said. 

She knew he was not joking, but at this point, she only cared about herself so much; she was going to keep pushing; she did not know how it was going to end, and if she won, she would beat herself up if she did not fight now. "Mom Dad, if I get married to that man, I am going to have to kill him," she pressed her lips together and closed her eyes tightly before opening them. "Do you want to have to visit your daughter in jail just because you had to sell her off in marriage?" 

"Sell off in marriage?" Eleanor asked, dropping her cup to the table. "You have chosen the wrong words to describe the situation, so for your own good, I would advise you to switch up the words," she said before licking her lips and leaning into the table so she could catch a glimpse of her daughter's face. 

"My bad, not sell off, given to in marriage," she said, flashing a half-hearted smile at them. She looked around the room and wondered if it was worth the fight anymore. Her father was going to have his way anyway. "It is my fault for being so comfortable with the single life; maybe if I had taken time out to remind you that I was yet to be married, I would not have been the victim." 

"Get ready because tomorrow you must meet up with Levi," Williams replied, ignoring her statement. This was not his choice anyway, but this was the best option for them now. 

"I do not only have to marry him; I also have to meet up with him before the marriage." Why don't we just skip to the part where we get married?" she said sarcastically. 

"If you do not take off that sarcasm this moment, you will regret what will happen," Willaims said in a final warning tone. He did not expect that after that she would be insolent and rude at the table. She made a sound of agreement at the back of her throat and shook her head back and forth. "I am sorry about the ruckus on the table this evening," William said, lifting up his glass and downing the entire contents of it. 

"It's no worries." "It is fine." "It is something that needs to be sorted out," they murmured around the tables. They were all worried about Lila, but each of them was grateful that they were not the scapegoat being offered. 

"Thank you all for being so worried about me. I do appreciate your kindness," she said, standing up. "I am done with dinner, so I will be retiring to bed now," Lila added with a frown on her face. She turned and marched out of the room in anger. 

"She will get over it."