Keira sighed several times inside the car."Smile, dear. You look like someone in a death row." Field Marshal Chan commented laughing.
"Well, this dinner will probably be the death row, Dad!" Keira stated lazily.
The Lius" Ancestral Mansion was so big that Keira was amazed as their car entered the pathway. It"s probably 20 acres of trees and gardens.
"What the heck is this? That Old Madam lives in this big house all by herself?" Keira gasped as she saw the mansion from afar. She couldn"t imagine how lonely it should be to have a big ancestral mansion like that and live without her family around.
"I guess so, but I"m sure she has a lot of people around and helpers. Senior Liu and Jeru are staying in the City while her daughter is abroad. Senior Liu said that it"s Old Madam"s choice to stay in this Mansion." Field Marshal Chan explained.
She made a quick search on her mobile phone about the Lius" Ancestral Mansion. A 29,000-square-foot main house that reportedly had 14 bedrooms all with bathrooms, two guest houses and a pool and more… It"s quite impressive.
"House of Secrets?" Keira"s eyebrows arched when an article gave the house that t.i.tle because of the commotion on a 40,000-square-feet bas.e.m.e.nt, a s.p.a.ce that is reported as "equal to an underground village."
"The heck… This mansion is so weird, Dad." Keira commented as she continued to read the article.
"Dear, stop that, we are already at the main door," her mom reminded her as their car stopped.
Around twenty maids paraded at the entrance door in uniforms with the two butlers to greet them.
Keira smiled wryly for such a warm welcome.
"Are we walking at a wedding ceremony?" Keira murmured scornfully because at the end of rows of helpers Jeru was smiling widely at them as if he was a groom waiting for his bride.
Keira wanted to smash her head as she looked at Jeru. "Darn, is that how I look whenever I stare at Zach?" She mused helplessly as she remembered her friends always telling her how she looked head over heels.
"We"ve met again," Jeru greeted her warmly and Keira gave him an impa.s.sive smile.
"Welcome, Troy and Ester!" An Old Woman greeted lively as she walked towards Keira"s parents, hugged and gave them a cheek to cheek kiss. A man was beside her who she recognized from the photos that she had got as Senior Liu- Jeru"s dad.
He had very soft features, then she s.h.i.+fted her gaze at Jeru. None of Jeru"s facial features resembled Old Madam Liu or his father.
"Maybe, he got his looks from his mom," she mused because she did not bother to check the profile of his deceased mother.
"Oh, your daughter is indeed a rare beauty to behold." Old Madam Liu praised with a wide smile, looking directly at Keira.
"Hmm… So she does know how to smile..." Keira mused
She had expected it. Old Madam Liu was a sweet and smooth talker on the outside.
Keira smiled sweetly and replied, "I"m well aware that I"m a rare beauty, so many actually are trying to own me because of this outer beauty of mine and I really hate that in the end all of them ended up beholding..."
Field Marshal Chan almost choked on the bold boasting of his daughter.
Old Madam Liu"s eyebrows arched but quickly a smile plastered her face.
Senior Liu suddenly interrupted and said, "Let"s all head to the dining room because I"m sure you are hungry because of the long ride."
Jeru was a pure gentleman along the way as he seated beside Keira. His attention was obviously pointed only towards her.
He even a.s.sisted her with her food.
"Thank you... But can I please get it by myself? I hate the feeling when someone is a.s.sisting me. Actually, it feels like I"m disabled though I"m not. I"m so sorry, but it"s just that I"m twisted most of the time." She said apologetically to Jeru and she meant every word of it.
She felt pity for the guy. But then what she could do? She did not want to give Jeru the slightest hint to misinterpret her that she was on an agreement with the absurd marriage.
Keira noticed that Old Madam Liu was observing her and scrutinizing her every move with that sharp eyes of hers.
Everything was purely silent during dinner and she was sure it wouldn"t end just like that.
They all were invited to the living room to have tea and talk about the arranged marriage.
Keira felt that this meeting was the most sluggish thing she ever had attended in her whole life.
"I will get straight to the point of why we have invited your family for dinner…" Old Madam began and looked intently at Keira as she continued explaining the Liu Family"s intention to ask the Chan Family for Keira"s hand.
Keira creased her forehead and spoke as soon as Old Madam Liu finished her piece. She felt like it would take forever because Old Madam Liu stated every advantage the Lius had to offer.
"Before you all start talking, being the main person involved in this meeting, I want to say something…"
Old Madam Liu"s face crumpled. "How impetuous!" she wanted to tell in a loud voice but controlled herself.
With a forced smile, she said, "Alright, let"s hear out Keira and what she"s about to say first since the matter involves her and Jeru."
Field Marshal Chan looked at his wife with a questioning expression as if asking whether she knew anything about Keira"s plan but the latter just answered him by shrugging her shoulders.
Then, he looked at Keira and waited for what his daughter wanted to say. All he remembered was that Keira mumbled that she won"t let all of them hijack the conversations.
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