Her reply left Livia speechless for a moment.
Nyx, on the other hand, had thought about it. She needed money, and they had it; not taking it from them would be going far too easy on them.
So...
Nyx’s expression eased, and she slowly sat back down on the chair she had stood up from, this time facing forward. Her gaze met Edmund’s, who was looking at her with a mix of cold dislike, simmering anger, and deep wariness, as he spoke,
"Nyx. You are pushing your luck—"
She ignored it and continued. "Also, regarding the engagement to Adrian Cross you so graciously imposed on me–"
"We discussed it—"
"You discussed it and decided. I didn’t have a say, Father. You never let me, but it’s okay; that’s not what I was getting at."
"If it gets out that someone like me is getting engaged to ’the’ Adrian Cross, people would say: She’s just a pitiful, neglected daughter of a wealthy family who has nothing unique about her. Even her appearance doesn’t match her status—look at her clothes, so ordinary. She doesn’t have a car, works a typical job, and she certainly doesn’t deserve Adrian." She paused, patting her chest lightly, "They are not only insulting me, but also the Arden family. Don’t you think so?"
None of them said anything.
"At any rate, it will reflect badly on our reputation."
Edmund turned away from her and picked up his spoon, saying in a tone of finality, "You don’t care about those things, and you shouldn’t."
"No, not previously." Nyx smiled faintly. "But I do now."
Edmund’s expression stiffened. "The engagement hasn’t been finali—"
"Don’t worry, I’m sure it will be finalized soon," Nyx interrupted, unbothered. "So if you’re determined to marry me to Adrian, then at least give me the resources expected of his future fiancée."
Livia, who had already sat back down, stared at her in disbelief. "You’re doing this because of the engagement?"
Nyx looked at her. "Of course."
Her smile was faintly mocking. "Isn’t that what this family wants?"
She looked back at Edmund. "You want me to marry Adrian because the match benefits the Arden family. You want me to appear beside him at social events and represent this family properly."
Her eyes dropped briefly to her own clothes. "Then I assume you don’t want the Cross family’s future daughter-in-law looking like she can’t afford stylish casual clothes."
Livia’s expression became ugly. "Nyx! You never wanted the engagement and you were refusing to acknowledge Dad earlier, so why the hell are you so proactive about it now? What exactly—"
"None of your business." Her eyes became colder as she looked directly at Edmund.
"I’m not asking you to give me anything out of affection. As I said earlier, you were never a father to me. I’m asking you to invest in the daughter you’re planning to use for the benefit of this family."
Edmund’s face darkened. "Watch your words."
"Why?" She tilted her head. "Did I say anything untrue?"
Edmund didn’t answer.
Nyx continued.
"You want an alliance with the Cross family. Fine."
"You want me to marry Adrian. Fine."
"You want everyone outside this house to believe the Arden family’s eldest daughter is being treated like an honored young lady."
She spread her good hand slightly. "Then start acting like it."
Her gaze moved to the table. "My allowance should be increased immediately. My wardrobe needs to be replaced. And I expect the things that are appropriate for my position to be provided without me having to ask for every little thing."
She looked back at Edmund. "I don’t think that’s unreasonable. The money can be transferred to my account. The other things can be handled gradually."
Livia scoffed.
"And don’t worry. I’m not in a hurry." She glanced toward her broken arm. "I don’t think there are any social functions I need to attend before the engagement is finalized anyway."
Then she looked at Edmund again. "But my everyday clothes, shoes, and accessories should be replaced as soon as possible, and I want proper designer brands."
A faint smile appeared on her lips. "After all, the future fiancée of Adrian Cross shouldn’t be walking around in clothes that look cheaper than her stepsister’s."
She stood up and turned toward the staircase.
"Send me the details about my mother’s belongings when you have them."
She took one step. Then Edmund’s voice stopped her.
"Nyx."
She paused. "What?"
His expression was unreadable. "Adrian is coming over this morning."
Nyx turned around. "So?"
"We were planning to discuss the engagement."
Nyx stared at him for a moment. Then she laughed softly. "The engagement was your decision, Father. I agreed, but that doesn’t mean I will participate in it until you show your sincerity."
Before Edmund could respond, the sound of the front door opening echoed through the mansion. A moment later, footsteps approached from the foyer. One of the household staff appeared at the entrance to the dining room.
"Master Edmund, Mr. Cross has arrived."
The tension in Edmund’s face eased as though the arrival of an important guest had given him an excuse to end the unpleasant conversation.
"Send him in."
The servant went back, and Nyx’s eyes shifted toward the doorway. A few moments later, a tall, familiar man entered the dining room.
Adrian Cross.
He looked exactly as she remembered him: composed, impeccably dressed in a dark tailored suit, and immaculate despite the relatively early hour. He had striking facial features: dark hair neatly swept back from a smooth forehead, striking brown eyes beneath well-defined brows, and a straight nose.
His gaze swept across the dining room. "Good morning, everyone."
Then it stopped on Nyx. For a second, neither of them spoke. Adrian’s eyes moved to her sling, and his brows lifted slightly.
"I heard you were in the hospital."
Nyx raised an eyebrow. "News travels quickly."
Adrian took another step into the dining room. "I wanted to see how you were doing."
Edmund stepped forward with a smile that appeared far more relaxed than his expression had been moments earlier. "Adrian, you’re here earlier than expected. Come and have breakfast with us."
Adrian glanced briefly at the others before looking back at Nyx. "I don’t want to intrude."
"Nonsense," Edmund said quickly. "You will become family soon, immediately as the engagement is finalized."
Edmund gestured toward the empty chair. "Come, sit down. You and Nyx are going to be engaged soon. The two of you should spend more time together."
Nyx looked at him. "It seems you’ve forgotten what I just said?"
The smile on Edmund’s face disappeared, but he quickly forced it back. "There’s no reason to make things unpleasant. Adrian came here because he was worried about you."
Nyx glanced at Adrian and said dryly, "Thanks."
Adrian nodded. "I heard you spent the entire day in the hospital."
"I did."
"And your arm?"
"Broken."
His lips curved slightly. "I can see that." His gaze moved back to her arm. "What exactly happened?"
"Livia pushed her down the stairs," Lucian’s voice suddenly came from the hallway.
Everyone turned. Lucian had returned after taking the shopping bags upstairs.
Livia’s expression immediately darkened. "Lucian!"
He ignored her as Nyx turned to him, giving him a subtle nod to come downstairs.
Adrian’s gaze briefly shifted toward Edmund, Camilla, and Livia, reading the sudden tightness in their posture. Then it returned to Nyx.
Edmund cleared his throat, his smile strained. "It was an unfortunate misunderstanding between the sisters."
Nyx rolled her eyes. While Adrian completely ignored Edmund’s excuse, saying quietly, "I was concerned."
Nyx studied him.
She remembered Adrian Cross.
In her first life, she had never liked him. He had always been polite, successful—well, as successful as the heir to a multi-million-dollar empire could be—and perfectly composed. But there had always been something about the way he looked at her that made her skin crawl.
Now, however, she understood something she hadn’t noticed before.
Adrian wasn’t merely interested because of the arranged engagement.
He was curious about her.
And perhaps that curiosity had started long before today.
Nyx had spent all her time avoiding him whenever possible, never showing the slightest enthusiasm toward their proposed marriage. For someone accustomed to people throwing themselves just to catch his eye, her absolute indifference had probably been unusual enough to make her stick in his mind.
Tsk.
Adrian took a step closer. "Since our engagement is going to be finalized soon, I thought we should spend more time together."
Nyx raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
The question was so flat, so direct, that Adrian actually paused.
Edmund quickly intervened, his voice warm. "Adrian, don’t mind her. She’s still upset about what happened yesterday. Why don’t you sit down and let’s discuss the engagement?"
Nyx glanced at her father, then looked back at Adrian. Her expression was calm as she said.
"I’m going upstairs. Lucian, come."
Edmund frowned. "Nyx."
She ignored him entirely.
Adrian watched her turn toward the staircase. For some reason, instead of being offended, the corners of his lips lifted into a faint, amused curve.
Watching her leave, he thought about how he had always found her difficult to figure out. Nyx had never behaved like the other women in their social circle—she never went out of her way to approach him, never tried to impress him, and never seemed to care about the status attached to his name.
At first, he had found it mildly amusing. Then it became intriguing.
Now, seeing her stand up to her family with a fractured arm and an expression that made it painfully clear she couldn’t care less what any of them thought, his curiosity deepened.