Grace's POV
I leaned back comfortably in my chair, my soft fingers meticulously clasped together as I watched Lila pace restlessly in front of me. She has always worn this air of defiance, as if she could withstand my judgement, like she could rise above the world not minding how hard it tried to crush her. But not today again. Today, she would bend to my will.
"You're serious with what you are saying?" Lila's voice cracked, her eyes almost teary, wide with disbelief. "You are asking me to marry someone I never met before?"
Grace Monroe, this is the time to show your power again, you've handled tougher battles than this. I straightened up, ready to counter whatever plan she had up her sleeve, I was ready to give her my most commanding look. "I'm not asking you to marry him, Lila. I'm telling you that you will marry him. You're marrying him and that's final."
"But why did you choose me? Why not choose Diana?" Lila's voice was already shaking, and I could sense the frustration bubbling within her as she tries to hide them under her calm nature. "She's your favorite daughter. Why not offer her up for this marriage in exchange for your career?"
Diana, who had been eavesdropping while lounging on the couch nearby and filing her nails, snorted. "Don't dare drag me into this, Lila. I'm not the one to be used for charity case here."
"Diana!" I snapped immediately, shooting her a warning glare, i didn't want her to spoil everything with her sharp mouth. She rolled her eyes but didn't attempt saying anything again.
Taking a deep breath, I spurned around to face Lila again. "This isn't about having a favorite daughter, Lila. This is has everything to do with practicality. Diana without doubt, has... prospects. You don't have any obviously."
Lila flinched, she was shocked that I could say such a thing to her, and for a moment, I felt guilty. But I couldn't bring myself to the level of letting her see that. I had a mapped out plan, and it had to work at all cost.
"Mom, you're unbelievable," Lila muttered almost in tears, her voice breaking gradually at every attempt to talk. "You're happy using me as a tool for your political career, and you never took out even a second to imagine its effect on me!"
I stood up to face her, my voice cold and sharp, just the perfect attitude needed to bend her. "You think that I don't know what I'm doing, that all this is for fun? My career is obviously hanging by a thread! If I don't fix this immediately, everything I've built will definitely collapse. Do you think I'll trade that with that your petty feelings?"
Lila's lips shook, but she managed to stand her ground. "And what plan do you have for me? What do you think will happen to my life, my dreams?"
Diana's mocking laugher interrupted us, cutting through the tension. "Did you just say dreams? Since when did you start having dreams? You've been doing nothing but freeloading off this family for years. You should consider this one of those ways you are paying us back."
Lila's head snapped immediately toward Diana. "Freeloading, really? My father obviously left me an inheritance! Or did you in anyway forget that?"
I tightened my jaw in annoyance. "Ah, yes, Lila. About that inheritance."
Her eyes narrowed in anticipation. "What do you mean by that?"
"Well, I had the will updated recently," I said in a calm voice, though I could already feel her anger emitting. "It now has a different statement entirely, that you'll only have access to your inheritance after completing one year of marriage to anyone of my choice."
Lila's face became pale instantly. "You didn't do that right?"
"I did of course," I said simply without moving. "You're not even in a position to refuse my offer, Lila. It's either you comply and marry whomever I shall choose, or you get nothing from your inheritance."
"You dared tamper with my father's will?" she muttered with a shaking voice.
"You shouldn't make this more dramatic than it is already," I said, folding my arms nonchalantly. "Think about everything and respond fast. One year of marriage, and I will be more than happy to let you have everything your father left you. It's more than a fair deal."
"A fair deal right?" Lila laughed out loud bitterly. "You're really unbelievable. You're obviously forcing me into a marriage and at same time dangling my inheritance like a carrot on a stick. How is that fair to anyone?"
"Because life isn't fair and not balanced, Lila," I snapped at her. "We've allowed you to have it easy for far too long. It's high time you reciprocate and do something for this family."
Tears crowded her eyes, but of course, she quickly blinked them away as always. "What if I refuse to oblige?"
"Then get ready to get nothing," I said coldly with finality in my voice. "Be rest assured that there would be no inheritance, no home, and no support from this family. Think carefully before you make your choice, you can throw everything away because of your pride."
Diana smirked as we were still arguing from the spot she was lying on the couch. "Oh, come on, dear sister. It's not for a long time, just a year and you are free. Besides, you might even enjoy this arranged marriage, who knows. He's rich, powerful, and you should be grateful that he's willing to manage you, because you are way out of his league."