The Sean Family

"You will have to do what I tell you, Lyra. I am your father and I have a right to decide what is good for your future!" Richard Sean proclaimed anxiously with a tough expression on his face as he pointed at her. He looked as though he was going to cough up blood anytime soon with how angry he seemed.

Lyra could not help but scoff. She had truly guessed right. Even after more than three years, her father had still never changed. He was still that same profiteer who would be willing to do anything just to get what he wanted his hands on.

He was the first slimy and disgusting bastard she had ever met in her life and he had ruined all her expectations of men.

She stood with her back straight and her chin tipped up as she looked directly at him. "No, I won't marry him."

Richard seemed to have just heard the most ridiculous words ever. He flared up in anger as he pointed at her angrily.

"You...unfilial brat! The company is going bankrupt and if we don't do something about it, we'll have to announce bankruptcy. The King family has offered to marry you to their son in exchange for supplying us with funds. Shouldn't you have the best interest of the company in mind? He's just down with an illness. How big of a problem is that? How dare you refuse!?"

Lyra was quick to retort too. "So you're willing to sell me off to a dying man just to get some sick benefits?"

Her father paused in his tirade of anger and he seemed to be a little guilty but he seemed to rethink and steeled his mind as he said to her, "You're my daughter. It's your responsibility to support me and the company."

Lyra clenched her fists immediately. "I'm your daughter? Is Lacey not your daughter too? Why didn't you ask her to do this for you? I'm sure she will be very willing to help you get your benefits. She's after all your filial daughter."

As she spoke, Lyra glanced toward the corner at the figures that were hiding behind the door sill thinking they couldn't be seen but had no idea that their shadows had given them away.

As expected, two female figures burst out from behind the window sill and lunged at Lyra.

A resounding slap landed on her face immediately and it was so strong that the impact from it tilted Lyra's face to the side. When she looked up, she saw her mother, Heather standing across her with her arms akimbo.

"How dare you suggest such a thing!" The other woman berated. "Are you trying to insult my daughter or what?"

Lyra didn't immediately speak but she looked in the direction of the smaller figure standing behind her. It was her sister, Lacey. But God bless, she was nothing like one.

When she saw Lyra looking at her, she quickly said in a thoughtful voice, "Sister, don't be mad at daddy. Surely you don't watch the company go down?"

At this, Lyra gave a soft scoff. It turned out none of them had changed in the past few years. Even Lacey was still the same white lotus b*tch she was.

Lyra gave a light scoff at them but she didn't react to their provocations. She was no longer the that impatient young girl who had been fooled by the terms called family and believed that even though her adoptive mother wasn't her biological mother, she meant good for her. This time around, she was no longer that pushover who was played with and framed against.

She turned to her father with a serious expression on her face as she crossed her arms. "Firstly, you have two daughters and if the King family does need you to provide one of your daughters, Lacey is a better choice than me. Moreover, he has never seen me so I'm sure his choice isn't specifically for me. Secondly, Lacey is more of a young lady than I am so she is a better choice to get married to him."

Her father's expression was unreadable as he glared at her. "Are you telling me that you won't get married to him? Are you so badly hoping for the company to go bankrupt?"

Lyra gave a small smile at his words. She tilted her head gently and said, "Whatever the company faces is not my problem. Your lives and deaths don't matter to me. Or do you not remember what you told me that night three years ago?"

As she spoke, her gaze turned increasingly cold and she had a sharp look in her eyes that gave one chills.

Richard's expression fell as he recalled what she was talking about exactly. It was only for a moment however as he seemed to steel his heart.

"So what? This is your duty."

"Yes," her stepmother chirped in from the side. "Don't try to shirk your responsibilities. You're nothing but an orphan girl we took into the family. We gave you food, shelter, and a good lifestyle which you should be thankful for!"

"Ha..." Lyrasneered as she looked over to her so-called mother. "Of course, yes. You never forget to rub it in my face. Don't worry, I don't intend to fight for inheritance with any of your children as I know that's what you're worried about the most."

Heather's expression froze after being called out like this and she stuttered, "Wha... What do you mean? I've always treated you like my own daughter. You unfilial brat..."

However, Lyra could not be bothered by their tricks and ploys. If not because she received a call that her auntie was dying, she would never come back to the city again no matter how convincing the Sean family sounded when they persuaded her to come home.

She folded her arms and said, "I won't do it!"

Then, she turned and grabbed her handbag from the sofa before stepping around the other two women to leave.

But just then, her father called out, "Are you sure you won't? You do know just how sick your auntie is, right? Surely, you don't want anything to happen to her, do you?"

These words immediately got Lyra turning around to look at him. She suddenly had a bad premonition as she looked at him sharply.

"What have you done?"

Seeing how riled up she was, her father smiled and he seemed even more confident. "Nothing much. I just helped you keep her somewhere safe for some time."

Lyra didn't say a word as she clenched her fists rightly, her nails nearly digging into her palm as she did so.

Richard Sean continued, "I'm just curious though. How many days can she last being away from qualified doctors and a good hospital?" He paused. "But we can stop that, of course. As long as you agree to get the marriage certificate with Mr. King right now."

Lyra gritted her teeth. Even though she was aware that her father was a different kind of scum destined for hell, she didn't expect him to involve other people. She hadn't thought things through by coming to the city and had affected other people with her carelessness.

The auntie he was referring to was one of their former neighbors who had moved away from the neighborhood. She was the one who had brought Lyra up and fed her even when the Sean family denied her basic things in the family. She couldn't bear to see her in danger. Moreover, she was now an old woman with a grandchild. How could she bear to let them suffer in her stead?

But regardless, she tried to calm down. It wouldn't be good for her to jump right into her father's trap. He was usually good at digging such holes and he might be lying to her about it to fool her into getting the certificate.

So she adjusted her panicky look and maintained her expression as she continued to walk out looking very indifferent.

"You... Are you not worried about them at all?" Her father called out in disbelief behind her but she didn't even look back not to mention answer.

Even Lacey who was pretending to be a demure and considerate young lady looked up in surprise. They were all aware of how much that auntie meant to Lyra so they had been quite confident that she would give in after they threatened her with the older woman's life.

But they didn't expect her to simply walk out of the room with long strides. Richard had been taken aback and didn't know what to do at that moment but by the time he came to his senses and got the bodyguards to stop her from leaving, she was already gone.