Elias's father let out a bitter laugh. "You're just like your mother—always chasing money."
He looked Elias straight in the eye and added coldly, "Fine. But if you want my support, you'll have to follow some of my rules too."
Elias hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Alright. But let me hear the rules first."
His father agreed. "You gave me three conditions, now I'll give you mine. Follow them, and you'll get what you want—and I'll get what I want."
He continued sharply, "First, you must keep Mrs. Lina pleased. Second, when the time comes to divorce her, don't drag our company down with you. These rules are simple. Obey them, and we have peace. If not—your contract is void, you get nothing, and I will disown you."
Catrina's eyes widened in shock. "Father, that's not fair! You can't disown him. He's my brother—your only son!"
Their father didn't even flinch. "He brought this on himself. I'm not doing anything. If he agrees, then it's on him. I just want the deal with their family. That's all."
He turned back to Elias and asked, "So? Do you accept my conditions or not?"
Elias held his chin high and answered, "Yes. I do. Catrina is our witness that we've made this contract today. Let's talk about this again three years from now. Father, it was nice speaking with you. We'll see ourselves out."
Their father simply nodded. "Very well. I'll see you both at home."
Catrina gently grabbed Elias's arm, giving their father a cold goodbye before pulling her brother out of the room.
As they were walking out, the secretary returned with the clothes and food they had requested. But when he saw them hurrying away, he instinctively took a step forward to stop them.
Mr. Thorne raised his hand. "No need. Let them go."
The secretary hesitated, then sighed, placing the items down on a nearby table. "Sir, the kids never come to the office like this… Was there some kind of emergency?"
Mr. Thorne leaned back in his chair, his expression unreadable. "Elias… he came to confirm the wedding. The one I arranged. I thought he'd fight me on it. I thought he'd resist. But he didn't."
The secretary blinked, surprised. "Seriously? Even I didn't expect that. How did he agree so easily?"
Mr. Thorne gave a small, humorless smile. "He didn't just agree. He made a contract. On his own terms. He even brought Catrina along as a witness."
The secretary looked baffled. "That doesn't sound like him at all. Elias was always so quiet, so obedient. He never talked back."
Mr. Thorne nodded slowly. "I know… but something in him has changed. I don't know what it is, but one day he'll understand. I'm doing all this for his own good. So he can live a life of comfort and luxury… the kind I never had."
The secretary's expression softened. "I know you're doing what you think is best for them. But… when are you going to tell them the truth?"
Mr. Thorne looked out the window, a shadow crossing his face. "When the time is right."
The secretary let out a quiet breath. "I'll bring you some coffee."
Mr. Thorne gave a faint nod. "Sure."
Catrina pulled Elias into the car and slammed the door shut. "Are you out of your mind!?" she snapped.
Elias leaned back in the seat, rubbing his temples. "Yes… Maybe. I didn't think Father would actually threaten to disown me. I thought he'd reject my demands outright. But somehow, he agreed—and then made his own demands in return."
Catrina scowled. "That's why you don't act on impulse, you dimwit. I thought you were smarter than this—but clearly, I was wrong."
As she continued lecturing him, Elias buried his face in his hands. "Please… stop. I know I handled this the wrong way. But think about it—if I pull this off, I'll gain so much. Don't you think?"
"And what if you don't?" Catrina shot back. "What then?"
Elias peeked up from his hands. "Then… you'll help me, like you always do, right? I know he'll disown me, but you can build a career for yourself. You've always been capable. And besides… it's the 21st century. I can still go back to college. People won't care."
Catrina let out a long sigh, gripping the wheel. "I don't know what we're going to do…"
Just as she spoke, a phone buzzed. Elias glanced at his screen—and froze. His ex-boyfriend's name flashed across the display. He ended the call immediately, but then saw the history: 50 missed calls… all within the past two hours.
Everything he'd been holding in suddenly hit him like a wave. Silent tears slipped down his cheeks. He tried to stay quiet, but his shoulders trembled.
Catrina, still focused on the road, didn't notice at first. But when she glanced over and saw his tears, she immediately pulled the car to the side and stopped.
"Was that your ex?" she asked softly.
Elias couldn't speak. He only gave a small nod.
Without a word, Catrina took his phone, blocked the number, and deleted it. She handed it back and turned to him.
"You can't cry over a boy and ruin your face," she said, half-joking, half-serious.
Then she straightened, started the engine again, and gave him a firm look. "Today, I'm going to show you what really needs to be done after a breakup."Hearing that, Elias burst into louder sobs. "I'm single now," he cried. "And that fucking boyfriend of mine cheated on me. What's wrong with me, huh!?"
Catrina didn't miss a beat. "There's nothing wrong with you," she said, rolling her eyes. "You just have terrible taste in men."
Elias sniffled, blinking through his tears. "I don't have bad taste in men," he muttered between hiccups.
"Oh please," Catrina shot back. "He wasn't even that good-looking. No abs. Under six feet tall. Total downgrade. Ugh—how did you even look at him?"
That caught Elias off guard. He stared at her for a second before he started to laugh—small at first, then uncontrollably. "You're so mean," he choked out, still giggling.
"But you're smiling now, aren't you?" Catrina grinned.
"A little…" Elias admitted, wiping his eyes.
"Well, you're going to feel a lot better when you find out what we're about to do," Catrina said, suddenly smug.
Elias raised a brow. "Wait… what are we about to do?"
Catrina smirked as she started the car again. "You'll see. Step one of the heartbreak cure: revenge glow-up."