Addicted

Chapter 6

The room fell into a tense silence as Marco and Lisa were left alone. As the tense silence lingered between them, Marco struggled to find the right words to bridge the gap between father and daughter. "How's business been lately?" he finally ventured, breaking the silence.

Lisa offered a nonchalant shrug in response. "Same old, same old," she replied, her tone betraying little emotion.

Marco sighed, sensing the strain in their conversation. "You haven't visited in a while," he observed gently, his concern evident in his voice. "Your mother misses you."

Lisa's expression softened briefly at the mention of her mother. "I know, Father," she murmured, her gaze momentarily distant. "I've just been swamped with work lately. Projects and proposals keep piling up."

Feeling the weight of the unspoken tension between them, Marco searched for something more to say. "Take things easy, Lisa," he advised, his tone gentle yet firm. "And remember to visit your mother. She worries about you."

Before Lisa could respond, Marco added a warning. "And stay out of trouble, especially with the media," he cautioned, his gaze stern. "We can't afford another scandal like last time."

With that, Lisa nodded in understanding, excusing herself from the tense atmosphere. "I will, Father," she assured him, offering a small smile. "I'll talk to Jisoo and Wendy about the proposal. See you later."

With a final nod, Lisa left the room, leaving Marco alone with his thoughts, hoping that his words had reached his daughter, even in the midst of their strained relationship.

•••

After exiting the room, Lisa swiftly made her way out of the Manoban estate, her mind still clouded with thoughts from the tense encounter with her father. Climbing into her car, she took a deep breath, trying to clear her mind.

With no particular destination in mind, Lisa started driving aimlessly, the familiar hum of the engine providing a comforting background noise. As she drove, she reached for her phone and dialed Jisoo's number, connecting to the car's Bluetooth system.

After three rings, Jisoo's voice filled the car, asking why Lisa had called. Lisa hesitated, unsure of how to express her current state of mind. Finally, she settled on a simple excuse. "I'm hungry," she stated bluntly, leaving out the complexities of her emotions.

Jisoo, accustomed to Lisa's straightforward nature, didn't miss a beat. "I'll send you an address," she replied calmly. "Come join us for dinner. We're with Yeri and her friends."

Lisa opened her mouth to protest, but Jisoo cut her off before she could utter a word. "No 'buts' or 'ifs'," Jisoo insisted firmly. "Just come and eat with us. You need it."

With a resigned sigh, Lisa relented. "Fine," she muttered, knowing there was no use arguing with Jisoo when she was determined.

As Jisoo sent the address, Lisa followed the directions, her thoughts still swirling. After the phone call with Lisa, Jisoo excused herself from the table, stating that she needed to use the restroom but would wait for Lisa outside. She didn't want to make a big deal about inviting Lisa, knowing it might cause some tension among Yeri's friends as they were still a little uncomfortable towards the Manoban heiress. Instead, she planned to keep it low-key and pretend it was a chance encounter.

As Lisa arrived at the address Jisoo had sent, she found herself in front of an upscale restaurant. Spotting Jisoo waiting for her outside, she approached with a nod of acknowledgment.

Jisoo wasted no time, quickly informing Lisa not to mention that she had invited her. "I didn't want to make anyone uncomfortable by announcing that I invited you," Jisoo whispered, glancing back at the restaurant. "I didn't tell everyone I invited you. They're still a bit tense around you, especially since you're, you know, a little out of their league. So let's just keep it between us, okay?"