Chapter 47
A sudden thought occurred to me, scaring me shitless. Could it be that my father owed them a sizable amount of money and they were after me to collect what he owed? Was the amount so large that they couldn't trust anyone else to take the money? The room was cold, but my palms were sweating. Jobless and homeless—two of the biggest problems I was facing now—but I was about to face the third and most difficult one: a loan so large it would take me a lifetime to pay.
“Lily, are you listening to me?” Lia complained, noticing that I had been quiet for some time. Her gaze landed on my face, and her eyes popped open with worry. “You look pale! Are you alright?”
“I-I'm fine,” I lied. “The room is just cold; that's why I look pale. I forgot to bring my jacket with me.” I added this and forced myself to smile to convince her I was alright.
“Just drink your coffee, okay? It will warm you up.” She smiled.
I nodded and picked up my cup. The hot cup comforted my cold palms. I took a sip, and the warm liquid slithering down my throat helped me calm down.
“Did the couple say something about a loan or anything?” I casually asked, making sure Lia wouldn't notice the panic in my voice.
“No, they didn't. They are rich, so they could just let someone else do the job if a loan is their concern,” Lia logically told me, and I realized she was right. Rich people don't personally look for the debtor. They send a notice or a lawyer instead.
I let out a relieved sigh as the panic inside me slowly subsided.
“If you asked me, their reason is personal. Why would they find you themselves if it weren't?” Shrugging her shoulders, Lia took a sip of her café latte.
I lowered my cup onto the table. Could it be that I knew the couple? After a deep recollection of people I knew, they never appeared on my list of acquaintances. No, I didn't know them, and certainly, I hadn't met them personally before. I thought to myself, growing even more puzzled by their sudden appearance in my life.
“Imagine having rich parents like that! You wouldn't need to work for a living! You'd live like a princess!” Lia exclaimed with a dreamy look on her face. She lowered her cup and clasped her fingers together.
“You're rich as hell, Lia,” I reminded her. “You just ran off from your life and disguised yourself like an old maid so your family won't find you.”
The smile was wiped off her face, and she pouted. “Why bring that up now? I have reasons for doing that. My parents wanted me to marry a womanizing jerk! Imagining myself marrying a ladies' man—say, for example, someone like your husband Grey—makes me want to never marry forever. I might as well climb a mountain and die a virgin.”
That finally got me to sympathize with her. I couldn't blame her for escaping the life she was accustomed to, especially since she mentioned being forced to marry a womanizing jerk like my husband. I would even advise her not to go back and save herself from a marriage that was destined to end in disaster.
“Aha! You think I made the right decision, didn't you?” she grinned.
“No, I don't. You have my sympathy for being forced to marry a man you don't love. However, I don't think running away from home will solve everything. Your parents are probably worrying about you,” I lectured her like a sister giving advice to her younger sibling.
“I will return home soon. I sent Mom and Dad a letter informing them I'm alright. I also told them I'm coming home once they cancel the wedding.”
“Do you think they will cancel the wedding?” I asked her.
“They have no choice. Their one and only daughter will not be coming home unless the wedding is off.” Lia stressed the words with determination.
“Well, let's just see where it goes,” I replied in resignation. Lia wasn't the type to change her mind. Once she decided on something, it was impossible to change it.
We both fell silent afterward as we consumed our coffees. I picked up the fork and took a bite of a slice of tiramisu cake. Though the cake in the coffee shop was delicious, Celine's version of tiramisu cake was far more exquisite. Just thinking about it now made me miss her more.
Speaking of my other best friend, Celine, I hadn't told her I got kicked out of the house. She would definitely worry once she hears the news, and it's enough reason for me to delay telling her. I just hoped she wouldn't fly here as soon as she could just to check on me after she heard the bad news.
“About the couple who was looking for you,” Lia began after she wiped the cake residue from the tip of her mouth with a napkin. “I heard one of the employees say that the woman's name is Sophia Phoenix, owner of the renowned Fleur De Lis hotel. She's been a supermodel, so they say.”
The mention of the Fleur De Lis Hotel made my eyes widen in surprise. It's a famous hotel abroad that I once dreamed of working at. How could the owner of that hotel be looking for me?
“Sophia's husband—Paul? Philippe? Phil? I forgot his name—was the CEO and owner of the Phoenix Company,” Lia took a sip of her coffee after finishing her explanation.
“Phoenix? You mean the most valuable car company?” I gasped in disbelief.
“Yes. Her husband owns the company,” she confirmed.
I closed my mouth and collected my composure. “Just wow! Why would they look for me?” I mumbled to myself, puzzled.
“That's the question I couldn't answer either,” Lia responded, picking up her phone.
I was about to ask something when she handed me her phone. “I scrolled through the internet and found their picture. That's a picture of them taken during their only daughter's death anniversary. The information says she died in a fire.”
I took the phone with trembling fingers. When my gaze finally landed on the close-up picture on the screen, a gasp erupted from my lips.
Finally, I recognized the couple!
They were the married couple I saw in my mom's old photo album.