"No!"
Tiara instantly covered Thalia's mouth. "Are you crazy?" she mouthed, her smile tight as she awkwardly glanced back at William Carter. "I'm sorry, Mr. Carter, she is just a bit playful and loves to joke around."
William Carter only nodded lightly. He adjusted his cufflink with an unhurried motion before raising his eyes again, locking his gaze with Thalia.
Tiara froze, because that look didn't feel like he thought it was a joke. She removed her hand from Thalia's mouth, though her fingers lingered for a second longer and her heart couldn't beat any faster than in that moment.
"Go back, now. Like now," she mumbled under her breath. "You don't know who you are dealing with…" she gritted her teeth, holding onto the fear she already felt for her sister.
Thalia blinked, clearly confused by the fear on her sister's face. "Why? You said he is retired… I mean… since he is retired, he couldn't be that scary, right?"
"Go!" Tiara shouted, making Thalia flinch. "I'm sorry again, Mr. Carter, for my sister's rudeness."
She turned for a few seconds, then looked back at Thalia.
That look alone was enough to tell her that she was wrong. Completely.
Sensing the fear on her sister's face, Thalia swallowed, her feet shifting slightly as her earlier confidence quietly faded. "Okay, I will take my leave…"
She turned, ready to leave.
"Wait…"
William Carter's low voice sent a chill down their spines.
Thalia froze mid-step.
Tiara did too.
Neither of them turned right away.
"Is there something you need, Mr. Carter?" Tiara asked, swallowing slowly as she tried to mask the fear in her voice. "I'm sorry to keep you waiting," she added with a tight smile. "Let's discuss the business now…"
He didn't respond to her immediately.
Instead, his gaze rested on Thalia's back, calm and steady, as if her attempt to leave had only made her more… noticeable.
"Miss Thalia Kim." He said her name like it wasn't the first time, like he had already known it.
Thalia slowly turned around. Her fingers curled slightly at her side, though she couldn't explain why her heart had started beating faster.
"Yes…?" she answered.
He watched her for a moment, his expression unchanged, his posture still relaxed, yet there was something in the way he held himself that made the space feel smaller.
"You asked me something earlier," he said, his tone even, "and I have not answered you yet."
Tiara started panicking. "No need, Mr. Carter! She loves to mumble nonsense."
William raised his gaze slightly. "Rea… lly?"
For the first time in her nine hundred and five years, Thalia felt a kind of fear that didn't come from death, but from something far more suffocating.
She instantly lowered her head, her voice turning careful, restrained. "I'm very sorry for my rudeness earlier. I was just goofing around and crossed the line. I hope you will not take it seriously."
A pause followed. Then another and it felt suffocatingly long.
Thalia did not lift her head, didn't even dare to.
"Is that so?" he asked, his voice still calm, almost gentle, yet it carried a weight that pressed down on her far more than anger ever could.
Thalia nodded quickly. "Yes."
"Then," he continued, "you are saying that… what you said earlier…" He paused slightly, as if recalling it word by word, "was not something you meant?"
The air felt tight in the room at that moment, but Thalia nodded, thinking that this was finally the end of the conversation. She silently regretted not listening to her sister just a few minutes ago.
"Yes, Mr. Carter…" Thalia replied weakly.
"So, you love joking around, including with your marriage?"
Thalia froze. 'The question didn't sound right…'
"I'm sorry once again." That was the only thing that could come out of her mouth at that moment. She couldn't give any other excuse, could she?
"You know…" William tilted his head as he looked at Thalia, who was still bowing. "I have a niece."
'Niece?' Thalia frowned as she stared at the floor. 'What does that have to do with this conversation?'
"Five years ago, at the age of twenty-one, she suddenly asked to get married…" He chuckled out of the blue, as if it were a funny memory, but despite that, the whole atmosphere didn't feel like it at all.
"Sorry, Mr. Carter?" Tiara also didn't understand where the conversation was heading, so she asked in confusion.
William slowly got up from the couch. "She died a year ago… depressed."
The words fell calmly.
Thalia's breath hitched.
"I'm sorry to hear that, Mr. Carter," Thalia broke the silence, trying to cut through the tension that had become unbearable.
"No… it is alright. It was her own fault." William's voice remained steady. "He thought marriage was as simple as signing a paper… and having… sex."
His sharp gaze landed on both sisters. "You are not like that, right, Miss Thalia Kim?"
Thalia instantly raised her head and shook it hard. "No! Totally not. Marriage is something important to me, of course!"
'Of course it is… If I don't get married and complete the wedding night, I'll be dead soon.'
William nodded once, as if that answer satisfied him.
Then, he stepped forward, slow and measured. Until he stopped right in front of her.
"The answer to your question is yes," he said calmly. "And we will get married in five days."
His words sent a chill through both Thalia and Tiara, their eyes instinctively meeting, the same fear reflected in each other's gaze.
"And, Mrs. Tiara, I agree to invest in your next project. Just send the documents to my company, and we will proceed accordingly."
Tiara froze for a second. Not because of the deal but because of the timing.
This wasn't a negotiation. This was… A condition.
Tiara's fingers tightened slightly at her side as she forced herself to remain composed, even though her thoughts were already racing.
"Mr. Carter," she started carefully, "this is a business matter. There is no need to involve my sister—"
"There isn't," he replied calmly, cutting her off without raising his voice.
A pause followed before he continued a few seconds later.
"I simply prefer efficiency." His gaze shifted slightly, landing back on Thalia. "And this solves two things at once."
He then smiled at Thalia. "Let's meet on our wedding day, Miss Thalia."
He walked straight to the door, leaving both of the sisters behind.
"Use it," Tiara grabbed Thalia's arms. "Erase his memories!"