The next morning,
Jade was brushing her hair in the hallway mirror when her mother appeared, arms crossed, waiting at the kitchen doorway.
"You're not leaving this house," Madame Lee said, "until you tell me everything."
Jade blinked, then laughed. "Good morning to you too."
"Talk," her mother said, unamused.
Her mother sighed. "You're playing with fire, Jade."
"I know," Jade whispered. "But this fire… might be the one I need."
Jade started recounting the evening — the gala, the fancy guests, the overwhelming luxury, the moment Daniel introduced her without hesitation as his fiancée.
When she was done, her mother stayed silent for a long beat.
Then:
"I'm not happy."
Jade's smile faded slightly.
"This world you're stepping into," Madame Lee continued, voice low, "it looks like a fairytale. But even fairytales have shadows. And I don't trust that boy. There's something… off. I can feel it."
Jade reached for her mother's hand. "I'll be fine, Mom. I promise. Just give me time."
Her mother didn't argue further. She simply gave her daughter a long look one full of quiet worry.
Then she looked at her watch and remarked that Jade is not preparing herself.
"Wait a second," she said, frowning. "You're not in uniform."
Jade blinked.
Her mother narrowed her eyes. "You're not… going to the café?"
Jade bit her lip. "Ah… about that"
Her mother raised a brow. "Don't tell me the mighty Mr. Ooman has decided his fiancée shouldn't work anymore."
Jade laughed awkwardly. "More like… strongly insisted."
Madame Lee scoffed dramatically.
"Oh great. First comes the penthouse, next comes the leash. What's next? Golden cage with designer bars?"
Jade grinned. "At least it'll be pretty."
As Jade finished brushing her hair, she called out casually, "By the way, wait for me tonight with Gabriel. I need to talk to you both about something… important."
Her mother, already putting on her coat and grabbing her bag, paused halfway toward the door.
"What now?"
Jade hesitated for half a second, then said, "Daniel's coming tonight… to pick me up. I'll be moving into his penthouse."
Madame Lee turned around, eyes wide. "You're moving in with him?! Just like that?"
"We'll talk about it when you get back," Jade said quickly. "You're already running late."
Her mother pointed a warning finger at her. "We will talk. And this time, you better come with answers."
Then she left, still muttering in disbelief as the door closed behind her.
.
.
Jade sat down with a sigh and pulled out her phone. She typed a message to Gabriel:
["come over tonight. I need to talk to you about Daniel and me."]
The reply came almost immediately.
[Gabriel:"I don't want to be part of this circus. Leave me out of it."]
Jade stared at the screen, then rolled her eyes.
"Dramatic much?" she muttered, tossing the phone on the couch.
.
.
.
The sun had barely begun to set when Daniel's sleek black car pulled up in front of the Lee household. Jade was still pacing the living room when the knock came.
She opened the door to find him already dressed in a dark, tailored suit calm, collected, and effortlessly imposing.
"Is Gabriel here?" he asked without greeting.
Jade crossed her arms. "He's not coming."
Daniel's expression didn't shift. "And your mother?"
"Still at work," she replied. "You're early."
"I said I'd come. I didn't say I'd wait until you were ready."
She gave him a dry look but stepped aside to let him in.
He walked in slowly, his eyes scanning the modest room that already looked emptier than usual. Then his gaze returned to her.
"So Gabriel… Why is he avoiding me?" Daniel asked casually, but there was an edge under his tone.
"He's just protective," Jade said, brushing it off. "He's not jealous."
Daniel stepped closer. "Protective?" His voice dropped slightly. "Of what, exactly?"
Jade blinked.
"Or…" he leaned in a bit more, his eyes locking onto hers, "of who?"
There was barely space between them now.
Jade held her ground, refusing to step back. "You're imagining things."
"Maybe," Daniel said, his voice low and smooth. "But I don't like when people get in the way of what's mine."
She raised an eyebrow. "Yours? I don't remember being signed and stamped yet."
He smirked. "Not yet."
And in that moment, the room felt smaller not because of its size, but because of him.
Jade barely had time to process the heat of Daniel's presence before the door opened behind them with a creak.
Madame Lee stepped in, slightly out of breath, bag in one hand, keys in the other.
She froze in the doorway.
Daniel slowly turned to face her, calm as ever.
Jade blinked. "Mom… you're early."
Madame Lee narrowed her eyes, gaze flicking from Jade to Daniel, then to the faintly charged space between them.
"I knew I'd walk into something," she muttered, setting her bag down with more force than necessary.
Daniel greeted her with a polite nod. "Good evening, Madame Lee."
She responded with a thin, suspicious smile. "Evening. I see you're here to collect your... bride."
Jade rolled her eyes. "Mom…"
"I just want to know if we're still pretending this is normal," she added.
Daniel gave a light smile. "Nothing about me is normal, Madame."
Madame Lee folded her arms. "At least you're self-aware."
Jade sighed. "Can we not do this right now?"
Her mother looked at her daughter with worry hidden behind sarcasm. "You sure you want to leave this house and step into that penthouse? Once you're in, there's no walking back."
Daniel answered before Jade could. "She won't need to walk back. I take care of what's mine."
Madame Lee's eyes narrowed. "We'll see about that."
Jade exhaled deeply. "This is going great."
Just as Madame Lee was about to say something sharp, Daniel reached into the inside pocket of his suit jacket.
With calm, deliberate movements, he pulled out a sleek, white envelope.
He held it out toward her.
"What's this?" Madame Lee asked suspiciously, not taking it right away.
Daniel smiled that unsettlingly calm, confident smile of his. "A small gesture."
She hesitated, then slowly took the envelope and opened it. Her eyes widened as she saw the cheque inside.
It was a very large amount. The kind of money that could pay off debts, cover her retirement, and then some.
He added smoothly, "Consider it to be… a bride price"
Madame Lee's mouth opened slightly. "Excuse me?"
"As the future husband of your daughter," Daniel said, voice silk and steel, "I'm also responsible for the well-being of her family. You are part of that."
She stared at him not just because of the money, but because of the wayhe said it. Calm. Firm. Unapologetic.
For a moment, Madame Lee was speechless which, for her, was a rare thing.
"You, You don't need to buy my approval," she managed to say at last.
She frowned. "I don't need a bride price. I'm not selling my daughter."
Daniel didn't flinch. "I understand, Madame Lee. But this is not payment it's respect. And a promise that I'll take care of her."
He bowed his head slightly. "Please, take it. And don't worry, I'll protect her with everything I have."
Before either woman could say more, he glanced at Jade, then turned to leave the room.
But at the doorway, he paused suddenly and looked back.
"Oh and Madame Lee," he said calmly, "You're welcome to visit her whenever you wish. My home is open to her family."
Then he stepped out, leaving a soft silence behind him.
Madame Lee blinked, visibly caught off guard. "That man… he's a phenomenon."
Jade gave a half-smile. "You're telling me."
They stood in silence for a moment before Jade turned to her, more serious this time.
"I don't want to leave unless you're okay with it," she said softly. "I can't do this knowing you're angry with me."
Madame Lee sighed, her expression softening. "I'm not angry, Jade. I'm just scared. But… I raised you strong."
She cupped her daughter's cheek. "So go. And don't forget where you came from."