Liliana stared at Jonathan. Her face was very close to his, so close that it made the man swallow nervously. Meanwhile, the people around them merely observed without commenting.
"W... what are you talking about? Like I said, I just lent him money," Jonathan stammered.
Liliana squinted her eyes. "Is that so? Then why do you look so anxious? You can't fool me. You're lying."
Jonathan widened his eyes as cold sweat flowed down his face. For some reason, he felt pressured by the woman in front of him. He then turned his face, glancing towards Klaus with a twisted expression.
"I'm talking to you. Why are you looking away?" Liliana reprimanded.
This made him even more flustered, and his hands trembled.
"That's enough."
Instantly, Liliana turned her head toward the source of the voice. Klaus gave her a warning look, and she appeared unsurprised, as if they both knew what was on each other's minds.
"We were talking, Klaus. Did I disturb you?"
"No, not at all. But you're making my friend nervous."
Liliana raised an eyebrow. "Friend? Hmm... You two just met today and already lent each other money. Very logical." Her last sentence carried a tone of sarcasm.
"That's how men build friendships. We don't smile sweetly on the outside but secretly hate each other on the inside."
Liliana pursed her lips. "Is that so? But you sound like you're hiding something from me."
"Indeed," Klaus replied.
"Well then, wouldn't you mind sharing with your aunt?"
"Nope. Why should I?"
Naturally, Liliana squinted her eyes. Her gaze turned sharp. Everyone could tell that she was getting angry. Meanwhile, Klaus seemed relaxed, a cunning smile on his face.
The atmosphere grew heavy. People could sense the tension between the two of them. Even Jonathan was trembling. He could feel an incredible pressure from Liliana, despite him being much larger than her.
"Ahem!"
Julia cleared her throat, breaking the tension before the situation could escalate further. Instantly, they all turned towards her.
"Liliana, we came here for a bet. Remember?" Julia reminded, forcing a stiff smile.
"Ah, right. I came here to collect my reward."
As soon as Liliana remembered her purpose for waiting in the lobby, the serious expression on her face disappeared, replaced by a sweet smile that most charming women wore.
"Forgive me, Klaus. I shouldn't have let myself get carried away. Lately, I've felt distant from you. Yet, you weren't like this before," she said.
Klaus sighed. "You haven't visited our mansion or even attended the launch of my company. Don't speak as if I'm the cause of all this."
"That's on me too. I've been through a lot in the last two years."
"I see."
The tension between the aunt and nephew finally began to ease. Jonathan let out a relieved breath.
"This place has a bad vibe. How about we find somewhere else?" Julia suggested.
"Let's go. I can't stand here any longer," Isabella added.
They left the lobby and entered an elevator. They went up to the 14th floor.
As the elevator doors opened, their first impression they got was one of luxury. The walls and floor were black marble. Elegant furniture adorned every corner. On the left was a large glass window showcasing the city lights. And there were crystal chandeliers emitting a golden glow from the ceiling.
"Make yourselves at home."
After Julia ushered the guests in, she went to the bartender's table to make drinks for them. Jonathan and Isabella sat next to each other. Liliana stood near the window, observing the city view. And the host's child, Olivia, slouched on the sofa.
"Olivia, just because this is your house doesn't mean you can behave like that in front of guests. Do I always have to remind you?" Julia scolded her only child while focusing on making the drinks.
With an annoyed sigh, Olivia quickly adjusted her seating position.
"It must be tough having a daughter like her, right, Julia?" Klaus asked, teasing Olivia. He stood behind the sofa where Olivia was sitting.
"Yeah, that's right, Klaus. Sometimes, I wish I had a child like you," Olivia retorted playfully.
Hearing their exchange, Olivia remained silent except for a snort. Klaus chuckled discreetly.
Julia came with a tray of six colorful drinks. Four of them were alcoholic beverages, while the rest were a milkshake and plain water.
"I heard from Anna that you don't drink anything but water," Julia said as she handed a glass to Klaus.
"Not entirely true. I actually like milkshakes if someone offers me one."
At the same time, Olivia choked as she sipped her milkshake. She squinted her eyes, giving Klaus an annoyed look, and he raised his eyebrows in response. However, Klaus didn't intend to provoke her.I think you should take a look at
"It's alright, Olivia. Sometimes I like milkshakes too," Isabella chimed in, sipping her mojito.
"True," Jonathan added. "Drinking a milkshake doesn't make you look like a kid."
Instead of being amused, their words only made Olivia more sulky.
"Come on, guys. You don't have to make it obvious," Olivia said in a sharp tone.
Isabella and Jonathan couldn't help but grin, realizing they had chosen their words poorly.
Amidst their light conversation, Liliana approached the table and picked up the cocktail glass prepared for her. After taking a sip of her drink, she looked at them.
"I think it's time for me to collect on the three favors you owe me."
As she brought up the main topic, everyone involved in the bet placed their glasses on the table. They had agreed, and Liliana had won. So, they had to pay up in the form of favors.
"Well, since you've gathered us here, it means you want us to grant your requests now. Please don't ask for something unreasonable," Isabella reminded.
"If you want to have a threesome, I don't mind. But sorry, there's no space for Klaus," Jonathan cracked a dry joke, but no one laughed. In fact, he got a cynical look from Isabella.
"Did you forget that couple minutes ago you looked like an idiot in front of her?" Isabella teased.
Jonathan quickly turned his face away in embarrassment. At the same time, Liliana giggled.
"Sorry, Jonathan. But I already have a husband," Liliana said.
"Well then, what do you want?" Klaus asked without beating around the bush.
"Nothing too difficult."
Liliana rubbed the ring on her finger, and a bright light engulfed the room. Not long after, the light faded, and her hand held a skull-shaped emerald crystal.
Jonathan, Isabella, and Julia; they were surprised by the fact that Liliana could use a spatial ring.
"Arcana... Did you just use arcana? Liliana, you're an awakener? I didn't know that," Julia was genuinely surprised. She didn't know her well, but Anna always talked about her family. If Anna hadn't said anything, it meant she didn't know about this.
On the other hand, Klaus, who was technically a close family member, didn't show even a hint of surprise. His expression remained flat, as if he had known for a long time. Meanwhile, Jonathan and Isabella appeared to react as usual, and Olivia didn't seem to care at all.
"Fufufu, I actually wanted to keep it a secret. But, because the request I want to ask might make you uncomfortable enough, I think it's fair to tell you the fact that I'm an awakener."
Jonathan raised his eyebrow. "What do you mean? Does your request have something to do with that skull?"
"Yup," Liliana replied. "This is 'The Skull of Deepest Truth'; an arcana that can reveal the deepest secrets of one's heart."
Naturally, everyone in the room was surprised, except Klaus. They all quickly opposed Liliana after learning the capability of that arcana.
Jonathan stood up and took a step back. "Wow, wow. Hold on. You've never discussed this before. This is the same as invading our privacy."
"I can't," Isabella quickly provided her answer. "It's something we can't fulfill. You can ask for any amount of money from me. But not this one."
"They're right, Liliana," Julia agreed. "I think it is going too far. We can substitute the bet with something else."
Of course, their opinions didn't please Liliana. Her smile vanished, and a sarcastic look began to show on her face.
"We made an agreement. And I've already spent 1 billion dollars on this. And now, you're refusing it?" Liliana sounded cold as she said so.
"We'll compensate your money," Jonathan replied. "If necessary, we'll return it twice."
"Or you can ask for anything else. Name it, you can ask for anything. We don't have to do this. It's just a foolish bet." Isabella bit her lip.
Liliana shook her head. "We hold animals by their leash, but we hold humans by their words. You all promised to fulfill all my requests. You have to stick to it."
They persistently tried to persuade Liliana to cancel the bet, but she didn't budge. She still wanted to go through with it. Meanwhile, Olivia chose to remain silent. She realized she had no capacity to meddle in their affairs.
"Klaus, say something!" Jonathan exclaimed in frustration.
Klaus gave him a pathetic gaze.????????????????????????????????.????????????
No matter how bright they may appear on the outside, they surely harbor flaws within themselves. This applied to Isabella and Jonathan as well. The extent of their frustration was evidence of them holding a secret. The more they didn't want people to know, the darker that secret became.
But even more importantly, Klaus knew that the person Liliana was truly targeting was him. She wanted to delve into his mind, uncover as much information and plans as possible. That's why she was so desperate to buy that painting.
After all, Klaus was her son's rival. Liliana would do anything for Noah.
The best choice right now was to agree with Isabella and Jonathan. If the three of them didn't agree, what could Liliana do? Nothing.
However, that wasn't Klaus' way.
Taking a deep breath, he said, "We made a promise. We have to stick to it."
Naturally, Jonathan and Isabella dropped their jaws in surprise.
