"Go back home and think again," Tiara rubbed her eyes, trying to wipe any tears that were threatening to break down earlier. "Let him in…"
Thalia stood up weakly, her motivation already running on empty.
Five days.
No—Less than that now.
Her mind was still stuck on Tiara's words.
'Even a year is lucky.'
That was not comforting. Not at all.
As she walked towards the door, her eyes remained on the floor and her scattered brain couldn't even care about what was in front of her until she bumped into a sturdy chest.
"Ouch!"
She frowned, holding onto her forehead.
Honestly, it did not hurt much but her emotions at that moment were messed up, making her suddenly pouted and on the verge of crying.
"Oh—I'm sorry, Mr. Carter," Tiara rushed from the back and pulled Thalia aside. "My sister can be a little… distracted."
Thalia immediately frowned as she was ready to defend herself. Raising her head, she looked up at the person in front of her.
'Woah woah woah, who is this ethereal person in front of me? He couldn't be human, right?' she thought as her eyes wandered over the man in front of her.
From his face to his shoulders, then lower and then…
'Oh. Oh no.'
Thalia froze.
'What am I doing?'
She quickly snapped her gaze back up, as if that would undo everything that just happened.
"I didn't see you," she said, a bit too late to sound convincing.
But the expression on the man in front of her remained stoic, and he didn't even bother to reply. He simply walked past her and headed straight to the guest couch.
'Boy? That's so rude…' Thalia blinked hard as she let out a huge, irritated sigh.
She turned her head slightly, watching his back as he walked away.
And in an instant, she raised her hands and crossed her arms, making an X.
"You are eliminated!" she mumbled under her breath.
Immediate disqualification. No manners. Bad attitude. Zero points.
Thalia nodded to herself, fully satisfied with her judgment.
Yes. Very correct decision.
"What are you doing?" Tiara's voice came from behind her.
Thalia dropped her hands instantly. "Nothing."
"Don't even think about including him in your list. He is dangerous. Retired mafia," Tiara whispered into her ear, making her eyes widen.
'Retired mafia? With that face? A mafia?' Her thoughts ran wild as her head tilted, gazing at the so-called retired mafia, who was now sitting calmly on the couch in her sister's office.
"Ah… never mind," She talked to herself as she continued walking to the door.
But a thought crossed her mind, making her steps stop right before she crossed out of the room, "I never dated a mafia before…"
Thalia slowly turned her head back, her body already angled toward the door but her curiosity refused to let her leave just yet. Her head tilted slightly as she tried to sneak another look at the so-called retired mafia sitting on the couch, her eyes quietly studying him from head to toe like she was trying to confirm whether Tiara was joking or not.
'Because honestly—With that face? A mafia? That didn't make sense.'
As she leaned just a little more to the side, trying to get a better angle without making it obvious, her head lightly bumped into something.
Thalia froze immediately.
And almost mechanically, her eyes shifted to the side.
A wobbly vase made her eyes widen. "No—no—no!" She jumped forward, trying her best to catch it so it wouldn't fall. "You better not fall, you freaking ancient Chinese vase!"
She suddenly recalled how happy her sister had been when she won the bid for the vase three months ago, smiling like she had just secured the most important deal of her life.
Which, now that Thalia thought about it, she probably had.
"Stay—stay—stay—" Thalia muttered under her breath, her hands hovering around the vase as if she could somehow control gravity with pure will.
But the vase didn't care.
It tilted further… And further.
Until it slipped right past her fingers.
The sharp sound of it hitting the floor echoed through the entire office, loud enough to make her soul leave her body for a brief second.
"Ah… here goes my life… not even a year…" She bit her lips and closed her eyes, already praying that she wouldn't die at her sister's hands.
From a few metres away, she could hear Tiara's sharp inhale, as if she was holding in every last bit of her patience.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Carter. Could you wait for just a few minutes? I have something urgent to settle."
Thalia's eyes widened the moment she heard that tone.
That tone. The one that meant someone was about to die.
She straightened immediately, turning toward her sister who was already walking toward her, calm on the surface but absolutely terrifying underneath.
"I will find a new one! I promise!" Thalia blurted out before Tiara could even say anything.
Tiara stopped right in front of her. Her eyes glared at Thalia, her lips already moving as she silently cursed her.
"Do you want to die today?" she mouthed.
"No!" Thalia answered quickly. "I will leave first, continue with your meeting."
She turned, fully prepared to escape while she still could, but before she could even take a proper step her collar was grabbed.
And she was pulled right back.
Thalia stumbled slightly, her body tilting backward as she was dragged a step closer, her balance once again proving to be completely unreliable.
"Let's talk," Tiara said under her breath.
"Sis… you cannot kill someone, you are a human now. It is not allowed." Thalia smiled awkwardly, trying her best to pry herself free from Tiara's grip.
Tiara leaned closer to her ear and whispered, "You are not someone, you are a freaking fox and if I kill you, you can be born again, right?"
Thalia's eyes widened instantly.
"Mr. Carter!" she suddenly called out, her voice a little too loud for someone trying to survive. "Are you single?!"
Silence fell over the room immediately.
Tiara slowly closed her eyes, just for a second
"If you are…" Thalia continued without thinking, "how about considering marrying me?!"