Chapter 8

• VALERIA
• Before today or rather before meeting the man before me, I had no idea that I even had a special fetish for voices or that it would even affect me that much. The only thing I knew was that after I heard him speak, my insides literally turned into mush and I had to use a hundred percent of my willpower while biting my lips to keep myself from making a funny sound.
• While I do feel some regret at the fact that he and I had happened to meet at the wrong time, I also felt fortunate at the same time. Fortunate that all I was feeling towards him at the moment was nothing more than pure attraction and not love at first sight.
• The former I knew would fade over time because although he was my ideal type come true, I hadn't really gotten to know him that well so except for feeling some regret every now and then whenever I remember him, nothing would really change. However, the latter would definitely have been a huge problem.
• From the time I stepped forward to apologize to the time I fell towards the man, it seemed like a long time had passed but in actuality, only a few minutes had gone past. Even so, I felt that the matter had dragged on far too long so I turned to my dad who was still sitting and asked, "The severance of ties agreement, is it ready?"
• His face instantly fell the moment I said that. I even saw him sneak a look at the man who was now seated as well.
• "Valeria," He said in a warning tone no doubt wanting to stop me from airing the family's dirty laundry out in front of the guests. If it had been before, nine out of ten times I would have listened to him and stop talking but now...
• "Don't tell me you still think I am playing around? I thought I made it clear enough when I requested for it myself and also when she.." I paused here and gestured with my chin at my mom still standing a few steps away from me.
• "...came to me in my bedroom." I finished.
• My dad's face got even worse after I refuted him. He looked like he wanted to say something else but seemed to decide against it though not without giving me a fierce glare. Then, he turned to Aaron, "Do as she says. You go to the study to type it out as well as print it out."
• Aaron acknowledged his orders and got up to carry it out without giving me a look. Not that I cared anyways.
• "Valeria, are you really going to do this?" I heard my mom suddenly saying in my ears in a soft tone. She had gotten close to me again at some point.
• I could hear the worry, concern as well as hesitation in her voice and knew exactly why that was so. It was because she believed that only when the maiden family of a woman had her back when she gets married would she have enough confidence and at the same time, be taken seriously by the family she was marrying into.
• However, if I were to be asked to entrust my fate to people who could deliberately scheme against and then led me into their trap step-by-step, sorry I can't do it. People who could do that definitely did not really consider me as family therefore I no longer also need them.
• "But..." My mom was about to continue saying but I interrupted her.
• "I won't change my mind on this so you don't need to say anything more."
• She probably heard and saw how serious I was about I because in the end, she didn't say anything.
• Knowing fully well that what came next was negotiating 'my price', I decided to find a place to sit and on seeing that, mom also returned to her original seat beside dad.
• Just like I thought, my butt had only touched the sofa I was sitting on slightly when I heard my dad speak.
• "Assistant Michaels, about our cooperation..." He left the rest unsaid.
• The man, no, I mean Assistant Michaels as my dad called him surely did not disappoint and lived up to my dad's expectations.
• There was a gentle smile on his face as he spoke, "I was just about to discuss that with you."
• After saying that, he gestured to the other man standing on the side. To be honest, I hadn't even noticed that there was even somebody else in the room. It wasn't that the other man's presence was negligible or something, the reason could only be attributed to the fact that my attention had wholly been on someone else.
• "This is the lawyer. He will explain to you the terms of our agreement. If there is something you are not satisfied with, you can raise it after he is done." Assistant Michaels said good-naturedly.
• However, I noticed something fishy. Technically, both of them were subordinates of that Mr Devil but why was it that this Assistant Michaels get to sit down while the lawyer could only stand to the side. Also, just now that the Assistant Michaels had gestured to the lawyer to come closer, hadn't the latter acted a little bit too respectful?
• But doubts were just doubts. After all, there might be something I am not aware of and this might just be the way Mr Devil's subordinates gave respect to those having higher position than them
• That aside, I turned my attention to my dad to see how he reacted to Assistant Michaels' words and saw him staring in one direction with fiery eyes. I followed his gaze only see the lawyer taking out a document from his briefcase.
• I had no doubt that if he could, he would have snatched the document away from the the lawyer's hands already. Fortunately for him, he didn't have to wait for long as the lawyer soon passed him a copy of the document.
• What followed was the voice of the lawyer explaining the terms in the document as well my dad asking questions from time to time.
• In the end, I closed my eyes in boredom while trying to make myself feel that I wasn't the 'object' whose price they were negotiating.
• My only prayer was that Aaron better be fast with they typing and printing of the severance of ties letter and come down quick. Spending even a moment more in this house was truly making me feel suffocated.
• God must have heard my prayers because right at that moment Aaron came down while holding two pieces of A4 paper in his hands which he immediately handed to my dad.
• My dad took it from him and was through it before gesturing for me to take while saying in a cryptic tone, "Here. Take it and sign it if there is no problem."
• However, I didn't mind his tone as I stood up and reached out to take a copy of the severance of ties letter as well as a pen from him. After that, I sat back again, read through the the document and only signed it after I confirmed that nothing was wrong with it.
• I looked up to see how my dad's face stiffened slightly after I signed it so straightforwardly. It wasn't until this moment that he probably believed that I was serious about severing ties with the family.
• "I'll have it notarized after we are both done signing it." I said while passing the copy I had signed to him and taking the other copy from his grip.
• The moment I mentioned notarizing it, I heard my dad say in a solemn tone, "Valeria, you are really serious? You do understand that by notarizing it, you would be leaving no leeway for yourself, right?"
• I understand what he meant. There was huge difference between a notarized document and one that isn't. The latter meant that the severance of ties letter would become recognized by the law while the former wouldn't be.
• "I meant it when I said it, dad. I am voluntarily giving up on this family." I replied calmly as I appended my signature to the other copy in my hands.
• After that, I put down the pen in my hand and smiled at him, "Dad, you should hurry and sign it. You have something more important to negotiate, no?"
• I was referring to his cooperation plan with Mr Devil's company.
• Sure enough, he gave in and also appended had signature on both copies of the severance of ties letter and the matter became a foregone conclusion.
• After that, I leaned against the sofa with my arms crossed and placed my gaze on Assistant Michaels. I was curious about why he hadn't asked why he had not asked any question while I and others were discussing severing my ties with them.
• Is it because it didn't matter whether I was still the Hale's daughter or not since it wouldn't affect their plan to cooperate with the Hale's or is there another reason I don't know?
• One day, I will find out...