From that moment, whatever feelings I had left for him burned away. But I still stayed. Why? Because my father was still in that hospital, because I needed him alive. So I played my role, quiet and obedient, and I endured everything Argus wanted but couldn’t do to Celine. I told myself it was temporary. Once my father got better, I would leave and never look back.
But in the end… all I got was his body. Cold. Gone.
And then Argus still asked me, “Do you even know what you did wrong?”
I stared at that message for a long time. Did I? Was it wrong to exist in his life? Without thinking, I opened his social feed. Beach, ocean, sunset, and him smiling freely beside Celine, so relaxed, like nothing ever happened. Like my father’s death meant nothing.
My chest tightened. Everything he had now felt like it was built on top of my father’s life.
I clenched my phone and took a taxi back to the villa. I needed to pack and leave before I broke completely.
The moment I walked in, I saw him sitting on the sofa, his face dark. “Where did you go? Why didn’t you reply to my messages? Do you think you can just disappear like that?”
I didn’t answer and walked past him.
He immediately got up and followed me upstairs, then shoved me hard. “Dahlia, you made Celine upset, and now you’re ignoring me? Who do you think you are, taking your anger out on me?”
My back slammed into the wall and something tore, warm blood sliding down, but I didn’t react. I just looked at him. “So what?” I said quietly. “What do you want me to do this time?”
He paused, clearly not expecting that.
I tilted my head slightly. “How should I apologize this time? Break a stone on my forehead in front of your friends? Or break my other arm too? Or maybe drink another thirty glasses until I pass out… will that finally make Celine feel better?”
For a moment, he just stared at me. Then his expression slowly calmed, like nothing happened. “Pack your things. Come back to the old house with me. Grandpa wants to see you.”
I didn’t move.
He added casually, “I’ll give you a fifty million. You know what to say and what not to say. Don’t embarrass me.”
I let out a small laugh. I didn’t even know why I was laughing anymore.
The Montgomery family always cared about reputation and rules. I learned that early.