Chapter 69 Rich Life
The sun had not yet cleared the treetops.
Veyra stood on the balcony, her arms wrapped around herself, the morning air cool against her skin. She had not slept. Her eyes were grainy. Her head was heavy. Dark circles shadowed the skin beneath her eyes.
She had spent the night thinking. About Xie Heng, Aunt Chen and about the Solenne family and the mess she had created and the mess she had inherited.
No solutions had come.
Below her, the driveway stretched toward the front gate. A black car idled near the steps. The engine hummed softly.
Dorian walked out of the front door.
He was wearing a dark suit. His hair was neat. His face was composed. He looked like he had slept eight hours and woken up refreshed.
He did not look up.
Veyra watched him walk toward the car. Her hand rested on the balcony railing. Her fingers curled around the cold stone.
Then, as if he felt her gaze, Dorian stopped and he looked up and rheir eyes met across the garden.
Veyra’s heart stumbled. She had not expected him to notice her. She had been standing still, quiet, trying to be invisible.
But he had noticed.
She forced a smile. It felt tight on her face. She lifted her hand. A small wave.
Dorian’s expression did not change. He looked at her for a moment longer. Then he turned, opened the car door, and climbed inside.
The car pulled away. The gates opened. The taillights disappeared around the corner.
Veyra’s hand dropped to her side.
She stood on the balcony for a long moment, watching the empty driveway. Then she went back inside.
A knock came at her door.
Veyra turned away from the window. She had been standing there for ten minutes, staring at nothing.
"Come in," she said.
The door opened.
Lily stood in the doorway. She was wearing a yellow sundress. Her hair was in two braids. The bandage on her neck was smaller today, almost hidden by the collar of her dress.
Behind her, a maid hovered nervously.
"Good morning, Veyra," Lily said. Her voice was bright. Cheerful. She held something behind her back.
Veyra’s heart softened. "Good morning, Lily."
"I have something for you." Lily stepped into the room. She pulled her hands from behind her back.
In her palms was a doll.
It was small. Fuzzy. Brown fur with long ears and a round face. A Labubu doll. The limited edition. Veyra had seen pictures online. People camped out overnight to buy them. They sold for thousands.
"Lily," Veyra said. "This is too much. I can’t accept this."
"You can. I want you to have it." Lily pushed the doll into Veyra’s hands. "You saved my life. This is the least I can do."
Veyra looked at the doll. The soft fur. The tiny stitched smile. The big round eyes.
Her throat tightened.
"Thank you," she whispered. "I will treasure it."
Lily beamed. "You’re welcome."
Veyra set the doll on the nightstand, next to the lamp. It looked small and soft and out of place among the dark wood and heavy fabrics. But she liked it there.
She turned back to Lily.
"I’m sorry I didn’t bring you pizza yesterday," Veyra said. "I promised. And I forgot."
Lily shrugged. "It’s okay. Great-Grandmother took me out. We had ice cream."
"I still owe you. How about I make you pizza? Right now. With my own hands."
Lily’s eyes went wide. "You know how to make pizza?"
"I learned in college. Before I had to drop out." Veyra smiled. "It’s not as good as Aunt Chen’s. But it’s edible."
Lily clapped her hands. "Yes! Let’s make pizza!"
She grabbed Veyra’s hand and pulled her toward the door.
The kitchen was enormous.
Veyra had seen it before, but she had never cooked in it. Six ovens lined one wall. A marble island dominated the center. Copper pots hung from hooks over the stove. The refrigerator was the size of a small closet.
Two maids stood at attention near the sink. A chef in a white coat was chopping vegetables at a side station.
"We don’t need help," Veyra said to the maids. "Lily and I can manage on our own."
The maids exchanged glances. Then they nodded and left.
Lily climbed onto a stool at the island. She swung her legs. "What do we do first?"
Veyra tied an apron around her waist. She found flour, yeast, warm water, salt, olive oil.
"Dough," she said. "Everything starts with dough."
She measured the flour into a large bowl. She added the yeast and salt. She poured in the warm water and olive oil.
Lily watched with wide eyes.
"Can I help?" Lily asked.
"You can stir." Veyra handed her a wooden spoon. "Mix it until it comes together."
Lily stirred. Her small arm moved in circles. The flour puffed into the air. It dusted her apron. Her cheeks. Her nose.
Veyra laughed. "You have flour on your face."
"So do you."
Veyra touched her own cheek. Flour. She laughed again.
When the dough came together, she turned it out onto the floured counter. She kneaded it with her hands. Push. Fold. Turn. Push. Fold. Turn.
Lily watched in fascination.
"Why do you keep pushing it?" Lily asked.
"It makes the gluten strong. That’s what gives the crust its chew." Veyra kneaded for five more minutes. Then she formed the dough into a smooth ball.
She called a maid back in. "Can you put this somewhere warm to rise? It needs an hour or maybe two."
The maid nodded. She took the dough and disappeared into the back kitchen.
Lily looked disappointed. "We have to wait an hour?"
"At least." Veyra washed her hands. "But we don’t have to wait here. Is there somewhere you want to go?"
Lily’s face lit up. "The cinema!"
"The cinema?" Veyra asked.
"Our private cinema. It’s in the east wing." Lily grabbed her hand. "Come on. I’ll show you."
They walked out of the kitchen and down a long corridor. The walls were lined with paintings. Ancestors. Landscapes. Scenes from history.
Lily chattered as they walked. "We have the biggest screen in the city. Bigger than the public theaters. And the seats recline. And there’s a popcorn machine."
Veyra listened with half an ear. Her mind was still on Xie Heng. On Aunt Chen. On the problem she had not solved.
Then they passed a heavy iron door.
Veyra stopped.
The door was set into the wall. Dark metal. A small slot at the bottom. No handle on the outside. Just a keypad and a biometric scanner.
The meditation room and a chill ran down her spine.
Lily followed her gaze. "That’s where they lock people up," Lily said. Her voice was quieter now. "Aunt Eleanor is in there."
Veyra stared at the door. She imagined Eleanor inside. No light. No sound. No sense of time.
"Don’t make a mistake," Lily said. "Otherwise you’ll get locked up too."
Veyra looked at her. The little girl’s face was serious. She was not joking.
"Don’t worry," Veyra said. "I won’t."
She took Lily’s hand and walked faster. Away from the iron door. Away from the cold.
The cinema was hidden behind a pair of red velvet curtains.
Lily pushed them aside. Veyra stepped through and she stopped.
The room was enormous. Stadium seating rose in curved tiers. A hundred seats. Maybe more. They were upholstered in dark red leather, with wide armrests and cup holders. The screen took up an entire wall. It was the size of a house.
"Wow," Veyra breathed.
"Pretty great, right?" Lily ran down the aisle. She climbed into a seat in the front row. "This is my favorite spot."
Veyra followed. The seat was soft. The recline was deep. A small table beside it held a bowl of popcorn and two glasses of juice.
Servants had already prepared everything.
Veyra shook her head. The wealthy really knew how to enjoy life. In her old apartment, she had watched movies on a laptop balanced on her knees. The screen had been cracked. The sound had been tinny.
Here, she felt like royalty.
"What do you want to watch?" Lily asked. She picked up a remote control. The screen flickered to life.
"Anything you want."
Lily scrolled through the menu. Her finger stopped. "This one. Zootopia."
"I love that movie."
"Me too."
The lights dimmed. The screen brightened. The opening credits began.
The movie was halfway through when Veyra’s phone buzzed.
She ignored it.
Lily was laughing at the sloth scene. Her giggles filled the empty theater.
The phone buzzed again. Then again.
Veyra pulled it out. Unknown number. She declined the call.
A text message appeared.
Zoe. It’s your father. Call me back.
She deleted it.
Another message.
This is serious. Xie Heng is threatening to burn down our house.
She deleted that one too.
Another.
You selfish girl. Your mother would be ashamed of you.
Veyra’s thumb hovered over the screen.
Her mother. The one person who had loved her unconditionally. The one who had died alone in a hospital bed while Caspian played games with her surgery money.
Her father had no right to mention her mother.
She blocked the number.
She put the phone away.
Lily was still watching the movie, oblivious. Her small face was lit by the screen. Her eyes were bright.
Veyra watched her for a moment. The innocence. The joy. The complete absence of fear.
She wished she could be like that. Just for one day.
The movie ended.
The credits rolled. Lily stretched her arms above her head.
"That was fun," Lily said. "Can we make the pizza now?"
Veyra checked her phone. No more messages from blocked numbers. She looked at the time. An hour and a half had passed.
"The dough should be ready," she said. "Let’s go."
They walked back to the kitchen. The maid had placed the dough on the counter. It had doubled in size. Soft. Puffy. Alive.
Veyra punched it down. Lily giggled.
They shaped the dough into a circle. Lily spread the sauce. Veyra sprinkled the cheese. Together, they added toppings, pepperoni, mushrooms, olives and extra cheese.
Lily’s hands were covered in sauce. Her cheeks were smeared with flour.
"You look like a mess," Veyra said.
"You look like a mess too."
Veyra laughed. She slid the pizza into the oven. The heat rushed out. The smell of baking dough filled the kitchen.
"Now we wait," Veyra said. "Ten minutes."
Lily set a timer on her watch.
The housekeeper appeared in the doorway. Her face was neutral. Professional.
"Mrs. Thorne," she said. "Someone called looking for you. They said it was urgent."
Veyra’s smile faded.