Escaping The Tragedies Of This Family!

Act 8 - Nikolas and Tila

"The Vermont District.." I mumbled to myself as I paced back and forth in my room. "A Jewellery store in the Vermont district... Where have I heard that before?"

That's when it clicked: the jewellery store in which Nikolas had invested was one of the biggest frauds in the nation. Later in the novel, it's revealed that the items sold to countless nobles were nothing more than elaborate fakes—cheap iron disguised with paint to resemble genuine gold. Because the Lovelace family had invested in this fraudulent business, their name was dragged through the mud, and were labelled as scammers throughout the nation by many. However, this doesn't get revealed until the story's final act.

This whole business investment was one of the many allegations the Lovelace family faces and I had to stop it somehow. Nikolas was a dedicated man, a bit devoted too for his own good, and trying to prevent this tragedy from happening would be mission impossible.

I frowned and flopped down at one of the velvet chairs surrounding the coffee table and thought. Tila Lovelace was a good for nothing girl, and her relationship with her father was most likely terrible.

"There has to be a way to convince him.." I hummed resting my feet on the table, "How can I convince him as Tila, surely he'd believe me if I told him straight up right?"

-

"What business do you have today, Tila?" Nikolas asked, his voice steady as he shuffled through a pile of paperwork, his gaze fixed on the documents before him. I glanced at his assistant, who stood by the bookshelf, meticulously organising a messy pile of books on the floor. He had long, dark green hair tied up in a pony tail, and he had glasses which delicately sat on the bridge of his nose. I paid him no mind as I took a seat.

"I wanted to speak with you about your investment, Father," I replied, keeping my tone firm and strong. This was a crucial opportunity to boost my reputation within the manor, and what better way to start than by getting on Nikolas's good side.

Nikolas dropped the stack of paperwork onto the side of the desk and leaned forward getting up from his desk and settling down on the seat across from me. "I'm surprised. You've never shown interest in such affairs," he remarked, his brow slightly raised at my response.

I straightened my posture, determined to prove him wrong. "Times are changing, and so am I."

"I understand my reputation and standpoint in this family however, as your daughter, I still want to contribute to the family's legacy, especially in matters that could potentially influence the nation."

He crossed his arms, despite the the suspension he subtly encouraged me to elaborate, "Go on,"

I took a deep breath, trying my best to gather my thoughts. "The jewellery store in the Vermont district, "I leaned forward as my heart began racing, beating through my chest like a drum. "I don't think investing in that business would prove benefiting to our family."

He sat back, a curious expression crossing his face. "And why would that be?"

"I've heard rumours from the legitimacy of the items they sell," I swallowed my breath, putting on the bravest face I could possibly make, "If we invest in a business which sells fraudulent items, what would that make us?"

Nikolas cocked his head to the side taking in the words that were coming out of my mouth and scrunched his eyes at me, "Rumours," he said, "and where have you heard such rumours?"

I choked at his words. (Shit I didn't think that far.)

I couldn't find a good enough reason, nor could I give sufficient proof as to why he shouldn't invest. It was obvious the store was new, so there was no way anyone would have discovered so quickly that the items they sold were nothing short of fakes. I should've known better. My fingers started to pick up sweat as the brave face I had put on began to melt, dripping down into my lap like a wet puddle of shame. I glanced away, realising I had failed to convince him.