Harold met Blare's conflicted gaze.

"How are you?" He asks as Blare became more confused.

Blare breathe in and blurted out, "I'm fine."

Realizing her blunt words, Blare added, "Do you need something?" 

Harold glance at Ace and spoke. "I need to talk to my daughter."

Ace did not answer him, instead, he looks at Blare for confirmation - which Blare answered with a nod.

Ace silently left while Blare and Harold agreed to talk in a nearby three-storey restaurant.

In a private room, a ray of sunlight lightened the area. The opened door to the balcony allowed the people inside to see certain parts of the city from the second floor.

"You've changed," Harold uttered while Blare finished telling her order to a waitress.

"Usually when I talk, you either stay silent and would glare or would answer back more... fiercely." Harold added.

Blare avoided his gaze and stared at the window instead.

"Everyone changes. So did you." 

Harold did not answer.

Blare continued to talk without meeting his gaze. "Usually, you wouldn't meet me -- No, you would never meet me." 

Finally, Harold answered. "Because I knew that you didn't want to see me."

Blare sneered, "You know why."

Harold did not answer again. Thus, silence engulfed the father-daughter pair.

When Blare met Harold at the gala, there was disappointment and anger within Lilith. Especially when she was accused of lying - by her own father no less.

Although Lilith was used to it, being reminded how her own father didn't trust her adds to the pain that was already planted years ago.

Now that almost two years have passed since Blare came, she understood why Lilith and Harold never saw each other eye to eye.

The waitress came and delivered a cup of latte to Blare and a cup of black coffee to Harold.

When the waitress left, Blare asks, "Why are you still sending me money?"

"You need it."

"Yes, but you also knew how I already got a job for almost two years."

Blare took a coffee spoon and stirred the latte - breaking the etch spirals art made in the creamy milk foam.

When Harold didn't answer, Blare look up to him and asks again. "Why do you still send me money?"

Blare knows the answer, but Lilith doesn't. They are two souls in one body, but their thought and beliefs can never become one.

"Despite believing what Harry says, why..." Blare creased her brows as he looks at Harold.

"You're my daughter."

"And he's your son. We're both your own flesh and blood!" 

Lilith's sentiments came out of Blare's mouth. 

Controlling her outrage, her hold on the coffee spoon tightened as her lips curved downwards. 

"Yet you believed in him more, favoured him more, cared for him more..." 

Blare fully watched Harold's expression. He was not looking at her and only stared at his black coffee. The only change in his face was his eyes - guilt was visible in his crystal blue orbs.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

"You love him more." Blare mumbled.

She loosed her grip on the coffee spoon and held the latte with both palms. 

"I knew that I have always been unfair to you. But I did it... I did to..."

Harold's voice sounded desperate in Blare's ears.

"You did it for your wife - to compensate for your sin." Blare calmly looked at Harold.

"Which is falling in love with my mother." 

When Blare finished delivering those words, the door burst open - revealing Matilda and Harry who carried heavy expressions.

Blare was both surprised and annoyed at their sudden appearance. 

'Great. They're gonna gang up on me.'

Blare stood up and was prepared to leave. But Matilda stopped her.

"Stay." She softly says with a kind gaze.

Her kind gesture annoyed Blare further. "Why should I endure your lies?" 

Blare strode towards the door - only to be blocked by Harry.

"Out of my way." Blare said with a threatening glare.

Harry didn't move. He furrowed his brows and said, "Dad loves you more."

Blare scoffed, "You were listening? Since when?" She eyed the mother-son pair.

"Does it matter? The fact that Dad cared for you more--"

Harry was cut off sharply by Blare. "Shut up. Is this another trick of yours to show the world how insolent I am?"

"No! Listen--"

"Save it. I'll never listen." 

Blare forced her way out. As she walked away, Harry's words reached her ears.

"I'm sorry, sister."

When Blare got out of the restaurant, a car appeared before her.

The car door opened - revealing Ace.

Ace's eyes widened seeing Blare. Then, he spoke with a low tone. "Get in."

When Blare got in and closed the car door, Ace drove - unsure where to go.

"What happened?" He asks as his eyes glance briefly at Blare.

"Nothing." She replied indifferently.

"...Then why are you crying?"

Ace's concerned words awakened Blare. The cold temperature of the car made Blare feel the tears on her cheeks. She touched her wet cheek and felt the cold tears on her fingers.

"I'm not..." She replied.

Ace figured that Blare did not want to talk about it, so he drove in silence.

Blare stared at her wet hands.

'I lost control. I wasn't supposed to let Lilith's anger out.' 

Blare wiped away the tears on her cheeks with her hands. She stared at the window and watched the street.

'I know we're different. In views and all that... But your father did care for you, at least he showed it when you moved out of the mansion.'

Blare felt unwillingness - unwilling to believe her own thoughts.

'Your house at the Seaside Subdivision and your monthly allowance, which he sends for almost 9 years - without fail.'

At this time, a bitter voice spoke - the voice which can only be heard by Blare.

"Love and money are two different things. He never cared for me."

Blare flinched in surprise. Fortunately, Ace didn't notice her movement as he was focusing on the road.

Blare took a silent breath and replied mentally. 'It was the action that counts. He supported you financially... because it's the only thing he can do.'

"Through money? He could have believed in me instead! I don't need his money!"

Lilith's pained voice echoed in Blare's ears.

'True. He supported you financially, while he supported his other family with... a forced love.'

"Forced love?"

'Harold loved your mother. He cheated when he and Matilda are still together. To repay his wife because of his infidelity - who was his fiancée at that time -  he had to love her... he had to love their son, Harry. As a result, he was compelled to support you in the other way.'

"...How can you be sure about this? What if it's all an act to deceive you - to deceive me?"

'Deceive? You mean getting the Comperio? Haha, you have the authority over the internet cafe. Even if that gets popular and you finally have your own corporation, they can never own it.' 

The car stopped in an empty shore. Blare turned to Ace and smiled.

"Thank you, Ace. I'd like to be alone for now."

Ace nodded. "I'll wait for you here."

Blare helplessly sighed, but she mouthed a word of thanks and got out of the car.

While walking at the sand, she proceeded to talk to Lilith mentally.

'Looking back at your memory, Harold always strikes a conversation with you. At first, you would answer with a timid but joyful voice. But over time, you started being hostile - because he chose to believe Harry's lies.'

A gust of wind carried Blare's blonde hair. She breathed - smelling the tangy sea.

'Fatherly love has always been mild. At least that's how people see it. In fact, through their little gestures, they're already showing their love... Lilith, although it was through money, it still showed how he loves and cares for you.'

Blare was met with silence for a while. But the bitter feeling that Lilith shared with her gradually dissipated.

"I hated my father. If he didn't cheat, I wouldn't be tormented... I wouldn't be here..."

'But what's done is done.'

"I understand. If that's the case, does it mean I deserved all the pain that the mother and son put me through?" Lilith asked hesitantly. 

Blare instantly replied. 'You didn't. They were in the wrong. All of Matilda's hatred for your mother had been placed on you. While Harry... I guess he's jealous of you.'

Lilith spoke with slight irritation. "He apologized to me. Spouted lies about how Dad favoured me more than him."

Blare sighed as she thought about her interaction with Harry. Every time she sees Harry, she always feels bitter and angry - all thanks to Lilith.

'Both of you are jealous of each other... Lilith, you really need to remember who your father gave his utmost attention to.'

Blare tiredly sighed at Lilith's denial. She spoke in a serious tone, "Lilith, in the first place, your Dad always talked to you. Always asking about your day, while your step-brother watched with jealousy."

Blare snickered with closed eyes - remembering Lilith's childhood.

"Harry was smart, always placing you in the wrong so he could gain Harold's attention."