Twenty minutes late, to be exact.
So even though I had been awake five hours early, I had to wait.
And despite my inexperience, the Piao family had sent a hover limousine to come and get me.
It was luxurious. Smooth. Unlike anything I had ever experienced.
It shattered the thoughts I had held about their cruelty.
Perhaps…
If I had sought them out before turning to the elite families, they might have helped me.
I allowed myself a brief, dangerous thought—maybe, just maybe, I could have been with my mother, raised like any other child…
No. I snapped myself out of it. What was done was done.
Now, I had to focus on my goal. In order to survive, to see my mother again, I had to do what must be done.
At 10:20, I finally left for the meeting. The session was scheduled for 10:30.
I climbed into the hover limousine. Inside were a few people from the Piao family—likely the bodyguards Marcus had mentioned during his livestream. From what he had said, they were generally open, kind, joking, and accommodating, willing to make the early ride pleasant and flexible if he wanted stops or assistance.
But this time… nothing.
The driver came out, opened the door for me, and that was it. The guards didn't even glance in my direction. They performed their duties silently and efficiently. No smiles. No conversation. Just absolute professionalism.
The ride began. And immediately, I realized this wasn't Marcus's smooth, leisurely livestream ride.
The limousine surged forward. Rapid. Furious. Thirty minutes condensed into ten. I had to grip the edge of the seat for dear life. My stomach churned violently, twisting with every sudden acceleration. The craft flew with a ferocious speed, the wind of motion pressing against my body, yet the cabin remained unnervingly stable. It felt as though I were lying on a moving bed, floating, yet every muscle tensed against the velocity.
I heaved once, twice, trying to keep control, but the adrenaline and nausea overwhelmed me.
Finally, the limousine slowed. The building loomed ahead. I stumbled out, breathless, still holding onto my stomach. My body swayed, and I had to steady myself against the car.
By the time I reached headquarters' meeting room, I would be about ten minutes late—not disastrous, but enough to require careful management of appearances.
I asked the guide if I could use the washroom briefly, buying a little time while keeping a mental tally of potential observers.
When I finally walked into the meeting room, the session hadn't started yet. Two other seats were still empty.
All eyes turned toward me as I entered. I lowered my head and quietly made my way to my seat, keeping every thought, every expression, carefully controlled, knowing that even the smallest sign of hesitation could be recorded and analyzed.
After sitting down, I waited. A heavy silence settled over the room. My eyes scanned everyone carefully.
I realized the seating arrangement had been carefully planned: on one side were the people in favor of protecting males; on the other, those opposed, along with the two civilian representatives. There were seven of us on the opposition side. But two seats were still empty on the proposition side.
From what I knew, only one of the twin sisters, Angel Piao, still needed to arrive, since the other was known for rarely attending these meetings.
'So, could this other chair be for the unofficial official judge?'
I let my thoughts wander while studying the chair with curiosity, wondering what it signified.
As I looked, I felt a gaze on me. I raised my eyes and met Grace Piao's. She watched silently, her eyes gleaming with contemplation. I quickly looked down again.
Grace carried a dignified air—calculating, commanding—the kind that made one want to submit completely. The longer I stared, the stronger the urge grew to reveal my true self. I didn't know why, but I sensed that maintaining eye contact could be dangerous.
When her gaze finally shifted away, I exhaled quietly in relief.