Chapter 203: Worthless wedding gift.

Sabrina paused her water-sipping, eyeing her. "Oh? Speak up." She hoped Lita had brought something juicy enough to speed up the fall of the Divine Soul maiden. As long as Trinity was gone, maybe she could take her place. Or find a way to sit a Soul maiden with the last name Kaelion in that position, provided she could control them. It was Sabrina’s eternal struggle, choosing between becoming the Divine Soul maiden, or becoming the family matriarch and finally Grand elder of her clan.

"The Divine soul maiden is transferring the Soul Maidens from the Island," Lita lowered her voice even further. "And apparently_ these girls are at that stubborn, rebellious age. They’ve been kicking up a storm and refusing to obey commands lately! Julia plans to shoot those who try to escape."

Sabrina froze, then a wide, wicked smile spread across her face. She let out a sharp, ringing laugh that echoed through the quiet courtyard. "Rebellious, you say?" She smirked, tapping her long purple fingernails against her glass. A bunch of untrained, hot-headed little girls is exactly what I need to start a fire in their camp!

Just then, the door of the office restroom opened. Elliot stepped out, wiping his hands dry with a tissue. The moment he appeared, Lita’s attitude shifted instantly. She lowered her head, ducked her chin, and put on a shy, blushing expression_ acting for all the world like a delicate Victorian bride on her wedding night.

Elliot didn’t buy it for a single second. Ignoring her completely, he walked straight past her to the desk and grabbed a velvet jewelry box. Without even looking at her, he casually tossed it through the air. The box bounced off Lita’s shoulder and landed squarely on the floor.

"Stop blushing," Elliot scoffed, sinking into the sofa chairs. "It really doesn’t suit you. It looks like you have a fever."

Lita blinked, dropping the shy act. She bent down, picked the box off the polished floor, and popped it open.

Inside lay a sparkling, ridiculously flashy set of antique jewelry. Red gems gleamed under the magic lamps, looking every bit as expensive as a small mountain.

"That belonged to a queen in the old world," Sabrina declared smoothly from the leather sofa across the room, fanning herself with a silk fan. "Very rare. Very precious."

Lita stared at the glowing rocks. Her face remained completely blank. Impressed? Not in the slightest. Jewelry? she screamed in her head. I can’t believe they gave me just a shiny necklace! Where is my deed to a commercial building? Where is my luxury apartment complex?!

The other daughters-in-law in this family had received prime real estate, energy stone mines and grand villas upon joining the family. All she got was some dead queen’s dusty old ice that was worth less than five thousand energy stones! This stuff was not precious in the new world. The best gems were those crafted from energy stones or resonance stones.

Seeing Lita’s unenthusiastic expression, Sabrina’s eyes narrowed. She raised a heavily manicured finger and pointed straight at Lita’s nose. "You should learn to be appreciative of your husband for being so considerate!" Sabrina sneered, her voice dripping with disdain. "A low-born bride like you cannot expect to be treated as an equal to those who come from the upper classes. They bring resources when they marry, all you brought was a goat. Know your place." With a lazy flick of her wrist, Sabrina dismissed her. "Now run along."

Lita swallowed her rage, taking a deep, calming breath. She forced her lips into a sickly sweet, fake smile. "Thank you both so much. I am profoundly moved." She bowed politely, turned around, and walked out the door.

But she didn’t actually leave. After closing the doors quietly, Lita pressed her ear against the wooden frame, holding her breath to eavesdrop.

Inside, Sabrina’s voice softened into a sharp whisper. "Elliot, try to treat that girl a little nicer in public. The old bum likes her. It’s probably just a pity thing because she’s poor, but you need to keep him happy."

Elliot snarled, the sound echoing like a frustrated beast. "I don’t care about the old man’s pity projects. She’s not my type."

"Forget her for now," Sabrina waved off. "Listen to me. I need you to look into the black market. There are new, high-grade supplies circulating, and no one knows where they are coming from."

Elliot leaned forward, his voice turning cold and lethal. "Why are you asking me and not Zayne? Do you want the supplier dead?"

"Zayne is a soft idiot like his useless father. Find the supplier first," Sabrina replied coolly. "Whether he lives or dies depends on how cooperative he is with us. Oh, and one more thing_ I have my people ready to nominate you as the leader of those representing our clan in this year’s tournament."

Elliot let out a low, dark chuckle that sent a chill down the hallway. "I pity my opponents already. You know I only fight to the death."

"Good," Sabrina chuckled back softly. "Show no mercy, but don’t kill. We don’t need the heat."

Then came a sudden, heavy silence from inside the room.

Lita’s heart slammed against her ribs. Fearing someone was moving toward the door, she spun on her heel and practically sprinted down the long, carpeted corridor toward her private quarters.

Back in the bedroom, Lita was a bundle of nerves. Between everything, family was absolute chaos. If Elliot is going to inherit everything one day, then I have to be useful and the easiest way is having his children, she thought desperately.

She took a long, relaxing bath filled with floating rose petals, trying to wash away the smell of the kitchen oils. Once dry, she pulled out her secret weapon: a dangerously sheer, see-through short nightgown.

She caught her reflection in the mirror and cleared her throat. "Alright, Lita. Time to play the alluring, obedient wife. Secure your husband’s heart."

She climbed into the bed, arranged her hair just right, and waited.

She waited for an hour.

She waited for two hours.

The tall, scented candle on her nightstand melted down into a puddle of wax. A cat meowed outside the window. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ

Elliot never came.

Lita sat up in the pitch-black room, pulling a heavy velvet blanket over her freezing, sheer-clad shoulders.

"Unbelievable," she muttered to the empty room, glaring at the glittering queen’s necklace sitting on her dresser. "I froze my toes off in a sheer nightgown for nothing. That son of a bitch! I will kill him for humiliating me. I will kill him." The servants would gossip about her now and Loveline would laugh in her face. A tear slipped from her left eye as she pulled a blanket over her head.