Chapter 56
Dafa's POV: The First Rule of Me
See.
I was correct.
Alayna was not that innocent.
I almost shook my head, but I kept still composed, the same controlled neutrality I used during reconnaissance.
Her sister underestimated my uniform.
Her mother went straight for the dowry gifts. In the end, everything in this house boiled down to money, leverage, advantage.
Different family. Different system.
Same transaction with Halton's family.
The Haltons dealt in legacy and bloodlines.
This family dealt in marriage and dowries.
Different currency. Same hunger.
I kept my expression neutral, a smooth, polished blankness, as I gave the answer they were probing for.
"I have not yet prepared the dowry gifts."
And then I waited.
This was the moment masks revealed their cracks.
This was when the sweet, supportive fiancee should show a flash of calculation, a tightening of the mouth, a disappointed shift in her eyes, a subtle reminder that love came with a price tag.
