Liora had learned three things about life.
Money disappeared faster than it arrived.
Families always found a way to ask for more.
And if you wanted something done properly, you had better learn to do it yourself.
She had learned the first lesson when she was twelve.
The second came when she was fifteen.
The third had become a permanent rule by the time she turned twenty-three.
“Liora!”
She nearly dropped the basket in her hands.
“I heard you the first time!”
Her mother’s voice came from the kitchen.
“Then why haven’t you answered?”
“Because I’m carrying vegetables!”
Liora stepped through the doorway and placed the basket on the table.
Her mother immediately looked inside.
“You bought onions?”
“Yes.”
“Tomatoes?”
“Yes.”
“Meat?”
Liora stared at her.
“Do I look like I found money on the road?”
Her mother frowned.
“We need meat.”
“We needed electricity more.”
“That can wait.”
“No, it can’t.”
Her mother sighed dramatically.
“You’ve become too stubborn.”
Liora folded her arms.
“And you’ve become too comfortable spending money you don’t have.”
Silence.
That was not what her mother wanted to hear.
Liora knew it.
But she wasn’t going to apologize.
Not this time.
She had spent years watching money meant for her education disappear into someone else’s hands.
School fees.
Books.
Clothes.
Savings.
Everything that was supposed to help her build a future somehow became something her younger brother needed more.
Because he was a boy.
Because he was the son.
Because apparently being born male came with a lifetime subscription to everyone else’s wallet.
Liora had stopped expecting fairness a long time ago.
She had learned to survive without it.
Her mother picked up one of the onions.
“You should give some of your salary to your brother.”
Liora’s eyes narrowed.
“For what?”
“He needs money.”
“For what?”
“He wants to start something.”
“What something?”
Her mother hesitated.
“Business.”
“What business?”
“I don’t know.”
Liora stared at her.
“You want me to give him money for a business you can’t even name?”
“He’s your brother.”
“And I’m his sister, not his bank.”
Her mother’s expression hardened.
“You always think about yourself.”
Liora almost laughed.
Almost.
Instead, she picked up the basket and began putting the groceries away.
“If I don’t think about myself, nobody else will.”
Her mother said nothing.
That was the problem.
Because somewhere deep inside, Liora knew she was right.
She had spent years trying to be the good daughter.
The obedient daughter.
The helpful sister.
The one who understood.
The one who sacrificed.
And somehow, every sacrifice had become an expectation.
She wasn’t going to live like that forever.
Liora glanced toward the small wooden box tucked beneath her bed.
Inside were her savings.
Not much.
But enough to remind her that she had a plan.
She wanted her own place.
Her own business.
Her own life.
A life where she didn’t have to ask permission before buying something she needed.
A life where nobody could tell her that her dreams were less important because someone else was a boy.
She had no idea how she was going to achieve it.
But she would.
Even if she had to start with nothing.
Again.
By evening, Liora was exhausted.
She had worked the entire day, dealt with customers, cleaned her station twice, and spent the last hour fixing an inventory mistake that wasn’t even hers.
She was packing her things when she heard laughter outside.
Then she heard her name.
“Liora.”
Her hands stopped.
She knew that voice.
Her brother.
Felix.
She slowly turned toward the front window.
And there he was.
Standing outside with their parents.
Liora’s stomach sank.
“What are they doing here?”
Her coworker glanced outside.
“Do you know them?”
Liora closed her bag.
“Unfortunately.”
Her coworker winced.
“That bad?”
“Worse.”
Before she could say anything else, the door opened.
Her mother walked in first.
Felix followed.
Their father came last.
Liora stared at them.
“You came to my workplace?”
Her mother folded her arms.
“We needed to speak with you.”
“You could have waited until I got home.”
Felix shrugged.
“You’ve been avoiding us.”
“I’ve been working.”
“You’ve been ignoring the family.”
Liora looked at him.
“Felix, the last time you called me, you asked for money.”
“So?”
“So I said no.”
“You’re earning.”
“So are you.”
Felix scoffed.
“That’s different.”
Liora blinked.
“How?”
He didn’t answer.
Her father stepped forward.
“Enough.”
Liora looked at him.
“Then tell me why you’re here.”
Her father hesitated.
“We need you to help your brother.”
There it was.
Again.
Always Felix.
Always someone else.
Liora tightened her grip on her bag.
“No.”
Her mother looked shocked.
“You didn’t even ask what he needs.”
“I already know.”
Felix’s expression darkened.
“You’re selfish.”
Something inside Liora finally snapped.
She looked at him quietly.
Then she smiled.
“Maybe.”
She picked up her bag.
“But at least I’m selfish with money I earned.”
Nobody spoke.
Liora walked past them.
She didn’t look back.
Outside, the evening air was cool against her face.
For the first time that day, she could breathe.
She had no idea that walking away from that building would change her entire life.
She didn’t know that within a few days, she would leave her ordinary job.
She didn’t know that she would accept a position she knew almost nothing about.
She didn’t know that the mansion waiting for her belonged to the most feared man in the kingdom.
And she certainly didn’t know that the cold, arrogant man she was about to meet would eventually become the person who would ask her the one question nobody else ever had.
What do you want?
But that was still a few days away.
For now, Liora only had one goal.
Save enough money to finally leave.
She just didn’t know that fate had already found a much more expensive way to change her plans.