Chapter 19 LILITH : 11 284 temerans Dean had truly meant it when he said ' fiancé ' duty . For the entire five hours I spent at the mall , he accompanied me without a single complaint . In fact , he went above and beyond - offering fashion advice , picking out clothes , and proving he had impeccable taste . He had been fully invested . At one point , he even tried to pay behind my back . Luckily , I caught him in time . After this morning's confrontation , I'd received four separate money transfers - one from each family member . A pitiful attempt at compensation. Or maybe ... comfort ? Either way , I wasn't complaining . Not when I planned to splurge it on my battle outfits . So , no way was I letting Dean take that small satisfaction from me . I had to admit though that thanks to him , the second half of my outing was leagues better than the first . At the end of the spree , I arranged for all my shopping bags to be delivered to the house , and then we left for a late lunch . 08:52 Chapter 19 288 Vouchers Afterwards , he drove me home and pulled up in front of the mansion . " Thanks for today , " I said as I unbuckled my seatbelt . Dean hummed softly in response . But his eyes were fixed on the road ahead , one hand resting loosely on the steering wheel , the other drumming a faint rhythm on his thigh . I didn't think much of it and reached for the door handle , only for him to call me to a stop . " I might have a solution to your house - hunting problem ," he said in a casual tone . " Want to hear it ? " My eyes lit up with interest as I turned to face him . " Really ? Tell me about it . " " In the community where I live , I own two units . I occupy one while the other's vacant . " He paused to face me squarely . " So , here's my idea - since the second unit's sitting empty , I could rent it out to you ." I blinked in surprise . His offer was truly ... unexpected . Perhaps noticing my hesitation , he casually added , " Paying maintenance and cleaning fees on an empty unit is draining my pockets . I didn't consider renting it out before because I don't trust outsiders to take care of it properly . But if it's you , I won't have to worry . " I had to admit , it was a tempting offer . It would save me the trouble of going house hunting all over again . Honestly , I was tempted . It sounded like a good deal and would save me the trouble of house hunting all over again . As if sensing my wavering , Dean turned up the persuasion " We'd be killing two birds with one stone - I save on maintenance , and you get a place that's secure , clean , and affordable . I 08:52 Chapter 19 : 11 288 Vouchers can personally vouch for the security and amenities . They're top - notch . " Even if I wouldn't admit it out loud , part of me already wanted to say yes . Then , as if reading my thoughts , he added , " If you're still unsure , come take a look tomorrow . No pressure . " I burst out laughing . He looked confused . " Did I say something funny ? " " No ," I shook my head , still smiling . " You just sounded exactly like the property agents I met this morning . " His expression softened , his lips curving up into a small smile . Before he could say anything else , I pulled the door open and turned to him . " I'll think about it and tell you my decision by tomorrow . " With that , I stepped out and shut the door behind me . Just as I turned toward to go in , his voice stopped me . " You forgot the shopping bags ," he said , rolling down the window , taking two shopping bags from the backseat and holding them out . I walked over and took them with a smile . " Thank you . " His fingers brushed against mine for the briefest second , making me pause . Maybe it was just my imagination , but when he spoke again , his voice sounded different . 36.34 % 08:52 Softer Warmer . " I'll be waiting for your response . " I masked the sudden flutter in my chest with a normal smile . " Okay . Drive safe . " I added a small wave , even as my fingers tingled where he had touched mine . Only after his car disappeared from view did I turn to enter the house . But the moment I stepped into the living room , my smile dropped . What . The . Hell . 286 Vouchers I froze mid - step . Seated on one side were the four members of my family . On the other side were Brandon's parents . Claire , her uncle , and her aunt completed the gathering . Talk about a full house of the people I least wanted to see . " Where have you been ? " my mother demanded , frowning . " We called , but you didn't pick up . " " I went shopping with Dean , my fiancé , " I said flatly . The effect was immediate . 08:52 Chapter 19 : The Scotts looked like someone had slapped them in the face . Brandon , in particular , stared at me with wounded eyes - like he was the one who'd been betrayed The audacity . To my surprise , Mom didn't shoot me a warning glare or rush to appease Paula , as was usually her routine . Maybe Dad had said something to her , I thought . As for Claire's side , her uncle and aunt looked positively giddy - like they'd just secured a golden ticket . Claire herself remained composed , but I was quick to catch the flicker of satisfaction in her gaze and the subtle lift of her chin that hinted at pride . I arched my brow . She'd recovered quite quickly from last night's dramatic collapse . Impressive . Honestly , the threshold of this house had never been lower . Even Claire's family of three could stroll in and be offered seats like honored guests . But I couldn't even blame them . No. This was all thanks to my mom . Before she got married , Mom had a best friend she adored . But after both of them married one after the other , her friend moved to a neighboring city with her husband . With time and distance , and busy lives , their contact naturally faded over time . Then , seven years ago , Mom got devastating news : her friend and her husband had died in a car crash , leaving behind their fifteen - year - old daughter - Claire . 08:52 Chapter 19 288 Vouchers At the funeral , Claire seemed close to her uncle and aunt , so Mom assumed she'd be taken care of . She helped stabilize the declining family business the late couple had left behind , and moved on . But less than a year later , Claire showed up at our door , claiming she'd been mistreated . Soft - hearted towards her late friend's only daughter , Mom took her in , allowing her to live with us . She said it would be good for both of us - I'd gain a playmate , and Claire would escape abuse and grow up healthily . Looking back now , that was the beginning of my past life's tragedy . I treated Claire like a real sister . Trusted her . Protected her . But underneath that fragile exterior was nothing but envy and morbid jealousy towards me . So , the moment she got access to that corrupted system , she chose me - the one person who treated her like family - as her target . The memory soured my mood . With a scowling face , I turned to head upstairs , wanting nothing more than to wash off the day and have a good sleep . Maybe I might feel much better after that . But of course , someone had to stop me . " Come here . " It was Julian . Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!