บท 2: Chapter 2 - the Agreement
Mr. Beckett sat down in the guest chair, yet his presence dominated the room, as though he were the true master of the mansion. Once the maid served tea, they tactfully retreated to stand by the door.
Leaning back calmly in his chair, Mr. Beckett gazed at the girl across from him, her hands tightly clasped together, unable to meet his eyes.
"Just now, I didn't introduce her properly. This is my daughter, Ruby, twenty-two years old and about to graduate from college," Mr. Levine said, breaking the silence.
Mr. Beckett furrowed his brow. "I recall your daughter should be twenty-five this year, shouldn't she?"
Mr. Levine and his wife instantly felt a wave of panic. They hadn't expected Mr. Beckett to directly bring up this issue. Mr. Levine began to sweat. "That would be my eldest daughter. This is my younger daughter, from my—"
Mr. Beckett cut him off. "So, this lady is from your second marriage?"
"Yes," Mr. Levine answered, visibly uneasy.
Mr. Beckett's face turned cold. "I'm sorry, but I think you've misunderstood, Mr. Levine. My original agreement was with Mr. Keller—your first wife's father."
"What?" Ruby, who had been nervously silent, blurted out in shock. It felt as though her blood had frozen.
Her parents had always told her there was an agreement between the two families' ancestors, but they never clarified. She had naturally assumed it was on her father's side of the family.
When she learned that her secret crush was to be her fiancé, she had been so excited she couldn't sleep for days.
The more elated she had been then, the more devastated she felt now.
Mr. Levine shot Ruby a disapproving glance for her outburst, and Ana quickly calmed herself, gently patting Ruby's hand to signal her to stay quiet.
Forcing a smile, Mr. Levine tried to explain, "That's correct, but my eldest daughter is plain and ordinary, while my younger daughter is intelligent and talented. She and Rome would make a perfect couple."
Mr. Beckett's lips curved into a slight smile, leading Mr. Levine to believe his excuse had passed. But before he could relax, Mr. Beckett asked,
"Why don't you bring your eldest daughter here so I can meet her?"
Ana cursed inwardly.
Mr. Beckett saw Mr. Levine hesitate and pressed, "Is there a reason?"
"N-no... not at all." Mr. Levine took a deep breath and called for a maid. "Bring Sofia here."
There was a knock at the door. Sofia, checking the time, was surprised; it wasn't yet lunchtime. When she opened the door, she found the maid empty-handed.
"Miss, the master has asked for you to come to the living room," the maid said respectfully.
Sofia was taken aback, wanting to ask if there had been a mistake, but the maid had already gestured for her to follow.
She was being so cautious, likely afraid that any error would bring down Mr. Levine's wrath.
When Sofia entered the living room, she immediately noticed the tense expressions of her family.
Her father, in an unusually calm tone, beckoned to her, "Sofia, come over here. This is Mr. Beckett."
As she stepped forward, Ruby's eyes fixed on her with resentment.
Finally able to see the elderly man's face clearly, Sofia noted his authoritative presence. But as their eyes met, his stern gaze softened. "Your eyes are just like your grandfather's."
"You knew my grandfather?" Sofia's eyes lit up. Ever since her mother passed, no one had spoken of him.
Though he had only spent a few years with her, she vividly remembered the moment that he sits in a rocking chair and holding her when she was fourth, while playing with antique trinkets.
Mr. Levine attempted to signal Sofia to stop talking, but she didn't notice.
Ruby glared at Sofia, bitterly watching her effortlessly engage Mr. Beckett in conversation. How dare she compare herself to me with her plain and simple dress.
Mr. Beckett chuckled. "Yes, child. Your grandfather and I were dear friends. Come closer and let me take a look at you."
Though it was Sofia's first time meeting this man, she could tell from her father's behavior that he must be a major figure in the business world. Yet she felt a surprising warmth toward him.
Mr. Beckett, with a tone of subtle reproach, asked, "Is this the daughter you claim to be plain and ordinary?"
Mr. Levine's face burned with embarrassment at being exposed in front of his daughter.
Mr. Beckett gestured for Sofia to sit beside him. "Back then, your grandfather and I agreed to a union between our families' children. But unfortunately, your mother was already engaged, so we agreed to wait for our grandchildren."
Sofia was taken aback, shocked by this revelation.
Tears welled in Ruby's eyes. The fiancé she thought she was destined to marry was slipping away.
Mr. Beckett, observing Sofia's reaction, realized no one had ever mentioned this to her. "I hear you're interested in artifact restoration. If you marry into our family, you'll still have your personal freedom, and I have an old friend in need of a Western art restoration expert."
Sofia, initially disinterested in the marriage talk, was suddenly reengaged at the mention of artifact restoration.
Sensing the situation turning against her, Ana exchanged a worried glance with Mr. Levine. If they didn't intervene soon, her daughter would lose any chance. She glanced at Ruby, whose face had turned hollow with despair.
As Sofia was about to ask more, her father coughed behind her—a clear warning. She quickly fell silent.
"Mr. Beckett," Mr. Levine interjected with a forced smile, "Sofia is still young. I'll need to discuss this marriage with her first."
Unfortunately for him, Mr. Beckett was unimpressed. The mood had been favorable, and Sofia had almost agreed when Mr. Levine interrupted. Now Mr. Beckett was visibly irritated. "Lets discuss everything openly now.?"
Mr. Beckett had little fondness for Mr. Levine, whose quick remarriage after his first wife's death had soured him. It was also clear that Sofia's half-sister was born before the first wife had passed, and Mr. Levine had treated his eldest daughter coldly. If it weren't for Sofia, Mr. Beckett wouldn't have set foot in this house.
Mr. Levine stammered, hoping Sofia wouldn't be foolish enough to agree to the marriage.
Sofia remained silent.
Mr. Beckett, his demeanor shifting again, turned warmly to Sofia. "Your grandfather was a dear friend of mine, so consider me half a grandfather to you. Today, I'll at your back—you can decide for yourself."
He gestured to his assistant, who handed him a photograph. "Look, this is my grandson Rome."
The young man in the photo had deep, chiseled features, clearly inheriting his grandfather's sharp looks, though his expression was stern and cold.
Sofia's focus wasn't on how handsome the man was or how enticing Mr. Beckett's offer seemed. What struck her was the hostile, almost resentful looks from Ana and Ruby. This was the way she had been treated her entire life.
Rather than continue to tread carefully in a house where she was never welcome, Sofia felt a surge of determination.
With Mr. Beckett supporting her, she sensed an opportunity for a new life—one that couldn't possibly be worse than her current situation. Wherever she went, things had to be better.
Though she was of age, her father still kept her bound to the house, intending to use her for another business marriage to maximize her "value." Even if she tried to escape, her father would always find her.
Now, marriage was inevitable either way, so she summoned the courage to tell Mr. Beckett, "I think it sounds good."
Ana almost fainted from anger on the spot, while Mr. Beckett beamed with delight.
Mr. Levine opened his mouth to object, but Mr. Beckett's voice boomed, "This marriage will involve Sofia, and no one else. If you object, then we can also end all talks of business collaboration."
Mr. Levine's face turned pale. His family's import business was already in a tight spot, with only a 2% price margin preventing a deal with another company. If they lost the Beckett family's support now…
He immediately fell silent.
Ana, standing beside him, was distraught but had no voice in the matter. She was neither Sofia's biological mother nor involved in the family business.
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