Chapter 155: Maybe... I am the one who is more desperate

"This is why the only person whom I respect in this family is Grandpa. You can’t see what’s going on around you..."

Her father gritted his teeth. He didn’t bring his bodyguards into the building. At the same time, even if he brought them, the situation would turn worse. A large-scale battle would ensue.

"Do you think you can keep your jobs after this?" He threatened the two bodyguards.

Unfortunately for him, Ellia simply reminded him one more time. "They don’t listen to you. They listen to me."

"You..." He glared at Ellia. "Order them to stand down now!"

"No."

"You..." He clenched his fists. "Do you think you’re going to be fine after doing this to me? You’re going to get married right away."

"Unfortunately for you, that’s not going to be possible anymore." Ellia scoffed.

"Not possible? I will make you understand I still have the authority in this house."

"Indeed. However, in our house? Your authority is ranked 3."

"You think? I will shut down your companies. You will have no choice but to go back with me."

"I’m tired of repeating the same thing. In that case, you can try shutting down my companies. We’ll see who will be hurt in the end. You or me?" Ellia chuckled. "You surely don’t think that I’m only grabbing random companies, do you? Have you forgotten that my companies are the ones generating the most cash flow for the family’s group? Shut them down and people will question your authority as the president."

"You..." His body shook.

"Can you finally see what’s going on around you? I wonder what the chairman... I mean, Grandfather will say if you are trying to shut me down. Maybe we will have a new president."

"You are my daughter! How dare you do this?!"

"Your daughter? Have you ever treated me as such? I am nothing but your trophy or your investment. When I was winning all those competitions? You just wanted to show me off to everyone. All the banquets or parties that we had? You were just trying to sell me to the highest bidder, oh, I mean potential husbands. So, I wonder when you actually treated me as your daughter. My memory is failing me because I couldn’t find a single memory."

"Is that how a daughter is supposed to talk to her parents? I gave birth to you!" Her mother simply couldn’t take it anymore. She rushed to her and raised her hand, but her slap was stopped by Ellia’s bodyguards. "You are hurting me. Let go of my hand!"

"Gave birth to me, huh?" Ellia looked up before laughing to herself. "You are the same. You have never seen me as your daughter. Giving birth? I believe you should say that’s just a labor cost for your investment."

"You..." Her mother suddenly started crying. "How can you do this to me? You are a devil child. Do you want me to jump off this building to prove it?"

Ellia didn’t say anything. She simply stared at her.

"What? What’s with that gaze?"

"I’m still waiting, Mother. After all this, I don’t know how I am supposed to trust you anymore."

"You..." Her mother’s body trembled.

"However, I do believe that you won’t do such a thing. You won’t prove anything. After all, you are always the priority, not me."

"You are selfish!"

"I know. It’s just... if we’re talking about selfishness here, I’m not exactly at the top in the family. At least, there are two people ranked above me standing in front of me right now."

The two of them could only grit their teeth. They couldn’t do anything because of the two bodyguards.

"If you treat me as an investment, then do it all the way through. Don’t say I’m your daughter when it’s at your convenience. I am merely an investment that you end up failing to control, Father, Mother. It’s time for you to accept that and move on."

They couldn’t do anything further. Ellia seemed to have an answer for everything.

The only option left was to leave.

They retracted their hands and fixed their clothes.

"Just you wait. You’re going to regret this!" Her father glared at her, giving yet another threat.

Ellia didn’t say anything. She simply bowed to them and spoke in a monotonous tone. "Be careful on the way, Father, Mother."

Once they left, Ellia turned to the two bodyguards. "Thank you, both of you."

"It’s okay, Miss. We’re just doing our job."

"Why don’t you treat yourself and take a rest today? I doubt there will be anything important left for today." Ellia took out a black card with a smile.

She was indirectly telling them that she wanted some time alone.

The two of them exchanged glances before nodding to each other. One of them accepted the card before they bowed to her and took their leave.

Ellia let out a long sigh after they were gone. Dealing with her family was truly exhausting, but she felt like it had yet to end.

A few memories couldn’t help but resurface in her mind.

"There are plenty of families that will be useful to us. We just have to marry Ellia to them."

"You just need to make yourself look pretty."

Ellia just looked at them with a horrified expression, not having the power to resist them.

She tried to show her talent so that she wouldn’t have to be scared anymore. At times, she felt proud of herself, considering she was considered the best sword prodigy in the younger generation.

Everyone seemed to praise her. However, the only thing that mattered to her parents was another marriage.

"We should just go for this family."

"Aren’t they too low for her?"

The discussion never stopped. She was just a tool in their eyes. There was not a shred of emotion about her. When she showed her talents, they just focused on finding a better target.

That was why she wasn’t honing her talent only in her swordsmanship but also in business. She was ready to die when she jumped into the business at 13 years old.

Fortunately, she was pretty talented in business, unlike her father. Besides, her grandfather was there to teach her.

Without making a big move, Ellia had been asking her grandfather for a few companies. It started with one ’golden goose.’

She used that money to buy another company. She didn’t really create a company, instead, she focused on acquisitions. That was the only thing that allowed her to grow her business in a short period.

Before long, she got rid of their debt and changed those companies into new money machines.

When things started looking good for her, she was struck down by her own talent.

She awakened a unique element avatar. At that time, everyone was shocked. Her grandfather was disappointed by her talent, but he was still proud of her business talent.

Meanwhile, her parents only focused on marrying her off and trying to steal what she had built up.

That was why she tried to distance herself from her family by going to this place. At the very least, they wouldn’t come to this forsaken place for no reason.

Unfortunately, this incident had become a big mess. To protect Auric, she had to make sure that the law enforcement officers were doing their jobs. As a result, it would come onto her parents’ radar, which was why they came here.

If she didn’t have to deal with this problem, she wouldn’t have to deal with her parents for at least two more years.

It looked like she didn’t have any other choice but to confront them head-on]. And at this time, it might involve the entire family.

In the end, she stayed in the private room for a bit longer before driving herself back to her apartment.

She opened her apartment, which was extremely small compared to what she owned. It was just a two-bedroom apartment, considering Arina usually hung out there from time to time.

It was small so that she wouldn’t feel so much empty space around her and made herself feel more lonely than she already had.

As she had just entered the room, she received another call. It came from ’Grandfather.’

Ellia let out a long sigh before accepting the call. "Good evening, Grandfather."

"Good evening, sweetheart. Your parents came crying to me. It looked like you had been rude to them. They wanted me to force you to leave your own companies."

"If it sounded that way, I apologize. However, I neither lied to them nor made any rude remarks."

"I see. Then, forget about that. How about the last part?"

"I have to refuse. I don’t see any reason for me to comply with that unreasonable request."

"Even though they’re your parents?"

"Other than a blood connection? I believe it’s more accurate to say that they’re asset managers. Unfortunately, the stocks they created over nine months and let mature for 18 years end up going to zero."

"Hoh? What if I agree with them? What if I want you to leave the company?"

"In that case, you will have to force me to." Ellia’s voice immediately became firm. "And I’m not going down without a fight."

Her grandfather’s voice turned extremely cold. "Are you trying to challenge your grandfather now? Don’t forget that what you have right now is thanks to me."

"Why do you ask about something we’ve been doing for the last few years, Grandfather?"

Her grandfather suddenly fell silent for two minutes before he laughed hysterically. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Ellia’s body shook. Even she wasn’t completely immune to her grandfather. He was the chairman of the group. His control over the group surpassed hers. If it was going to be a head-on fight, she might be able to get a draw against her parents, but her grandfather would crush her.

"You are right! This is what we have been doing. Unfortunately, that foolish son of mine or the daughter-in-law can’t even understand it! In this world, it’s only steal or be stolen! They don’t even know that you’ve been building your own empire to resist them. How foolish of them!"

Ellia took a deep breath. This was exactly what she had been learning from her grandfather. There was no warmth in her family. She had to constantly be wary of her well-being because everything could be taken away if she let her guard down.

It looked like she managed to survive this time. By pleasing her grandfather, he would definitely accept the decision and be done with this problem. Her parents wouldn’t be able to do anything else.

However, a threat suddenly came. "It’s because of that boy, isn’t it? What is his name? Auric Elfe? What if I tell you that I’m going to get rid of him? There won’t be any reason left for you to oppose me."

Ellia froze. Her hands began to shake.

She was trying her best to calm down before saying, "I see. Grandfather, you’ve grown rusty."

"I am... rusty?" Her grandfather definitely didn’t like that statement.

"The mere fact that you’re even suggesting such a thing is enough proof for me to see that]."

"Hoh?" He noticed the hidden implication in her words. Just like her, he wasn’t the type to handle the unknown carelessly. Hence, he changed the topic. "Okay then... I will tell your parents to shut up today. As expected, in this family, you’re the only one who can make me excited. Still, those two bodyguards of yours... How dare they harm the people of the Astler family! Cut off their hands. Dogs should know not to bite the owner."

"Dogs, huh? Indeed. Unfortunately, the Astler family is not their owner, nor are you and my parents. They do it because of their loyalty to me. Do you think I will reciprocate with betrayal?"

"Hahaha. This is why I like you. Good night, sweetheart."

"Goodnight, Grandfather." It looked like she managed to please him this time. At least, the immediate danger had been resolved.

Ellia let out a long sigh and sat down on the floor, resting her head on the table beside the bed.

The coldness of her family and the crazy grandfather... Dealing with them was exhausting.

It might be because of them that she wanted a simple thing. Warmth. It was fine for her to have nothing. She could live in a small apartment like this.

Even if they had to bump into each other in the small kitchen or tilt their bodies toward each other just to pass through a narrow corridor to the exit, she thought it would be fine. No, she might actually feel happy.

She couldn’t help but remember what she said to Milinda in that coffee shop about her being desperate.

"Maybe... I am the one who is more desperate."