Each step Corale took lightly into her new, luxurious, spacious home, and lots of things gleamed in the reflection of the sunlight streaming in through the enormous windows, alerting her to something.
Why didn't she see anyone?
A house—a castle of this size would need more than two people to completely clean, correct? Not to mention that while she was sitting on the long sofa in the living room, waiting for Vyrion to prepare tea for her, she tilted her head to cure her boredom, she could clearly see two more floors above her.
Was it possible that someone else working here besides Vyrion and Vega was on vacation?
And ...
Why didn't Corale see her real father's brother, Gabriel Laurent?
Corale remembered her mother's words that her father lived alone with Gabriel while she was about to leave for the airport.
Is he still working?
The reason Zara picked her up at the airport was that Gabriel said he couldn't do it when her mother called her.
Zara.
How could Corale forget? She hasn't told Zara that she has arrived at her new house.
She had to send a message—
"Why are you here?"
Vyrion's deep, annoyed voice interrupted Corale's hand as she was about to take her cell phone, her eyes quickly searching for where he was, and found him at the door, and not alone.
There was someone who was almost the same height as Vyrion.
Corale couldn't clearly see the person's face, but from the structure of the body and clothing, it was clear that a person is a man.
"Excuse me? Should I remind you that this castle belongs to whom?" The person asked in an equally irritated tone.
Corale immediately stood up and walked over to him, curious as to what had happened. The closer she got the more she realized that the stranger had a face similar to her father's, the difference was that his face didn't have that many wrinkles.
"Oh!" The person noticed Corale's presence, his irritated face quickly disappeared to be replaced by a bright, friendly expression, "you really here Corale."
A friendly greeting and smile as if he knew her, but Corale didn't respond well, instead her feet stopped involuntarily right behind Vyrion. She was sure that in front of her was her father's younger brother, Gabriel Laurent.
"Eh? You don't want to greet me? Hm, Corale? Hugging your uncle?" Gabriel asked with a hint of disappointment.
Corale kept her mouth in a thin line. Of course she wanted to, but her mother's words were ringing in her head. She was asked not to get too close to Gabriel while in England.
Her mother said Gabriel was a good person, but had a mysterious aura that was unpredictable.
"Corale?" Gabriel's bright face turned to worry, "don't tell me you live with them? You know this isn't where your father lives. Right?"
"Is it?"
Gabriel showed a sweet smile, "You don't realize there are no photos of our family?"
Oh ... another mystery that is in Corale's head.
Of course Corale noticed that there were no photos of her father, either alone or with his family, but she didn't make it a big deal because she thought maybe he wasn't the type to take pictures.
"Your father doesn't live here, Corale. He lives in the heart of Oxford," Gabriel says, "with me." He massaged his temples in disbelief, "I don't understand why Zara chose to bring you here."
"Mrs. Watson? Vega picked me up at the airport," Corale confessed so Gabriel wouldn't misunderstand Zara, "Vega said Mrs. Watson had urgent business so she did it."
"Vega ..." Gabriel whispered, hints of displeasure in his tone, "well, what's important is now. Come on, come with me, I have a lot I want to show you."
However, Corale was still in her position, she was aware of her position as Alfred's biological daughter, but her body refused to accept Gabriel's warm welcome.
"Corale?" Gabriel called out after getting the silent treatment from her for a while, "what did you do to her, huh!?" he charged at Vyrion with a demanding tone, and a sharp look in his black irises.
"People like you make me sick," Vyrion responded coldly, "I didn't do anything to her, not even touch an inch. She came here of her own need," He explained, "if she decided not to stay here, I don't care. Good news for me."
Corale only listened to each and every one of Vyrion's confessions which shocked her deepest heart. It was clear that he didn't like her existence. Her expectation is too high.
He was cold, but still wanted to be friends with her.
How wrong is she.
"You already know the reason your father refuses to live here? Because this jerk," Gabriel criticized, "you will be safe living with me, Corale. Your father's house is very strategic. Close to where you will be studying, even your father's business."
"Business?" Suddenly, Corale feels uneasy.
"They haven't told you yet? Your father left his company to you too," Gabriel says, "you're going to major in business, Corale."
"What?" That's not what Corale dreamed of, she wants to be a Doctor, not a big company owner, let alone CEO or something bigger, "This is based on father's wish ...?" she asked sadly.
She didn't expect this.
Still fresh in her mind, Corale told her father about her dream of becoming a Doctor to him through email. Now? He wants her to become a businesswoman? Who is opposite to her?
"Yes," Gabriel replied, ignoring the sadness on Corale's face, "he inherited everything to you including his company."
Corale is speechless, her heart twisted in dilemma about this new information. One thing for sure, did her mother knew this? Because she said nothing about her father's company, "I ..." she doesn't know what to say.
"I'm sorry, Corale, this is your world now," Gabriel says, "you chose this. I did everything I can before you ready step into the real world."
Corale didn't say anything, just feel her world start to become fall apart, and she can't grasp it.