VENGEANCE IN THE SHADOWS [KIM MINGYU]

{11} The Proposal of a Fairytale

Chapter 11

"The proposal of a fairytale"

☄. *. ⋆

Alara was lounging on the plush sofa in her penthouse, scrolling through social media on her phone when the device buzzed in her hand.

The familiar chime of FaceTime broke her focus, and she glanced down at the screen. Her father's name flashed across it.

A smile touched her lips as she swiped to answer, bringing the phone to her ear. "Hey, Papa!"

On the screen, her father's face appeared, sitting in the back of his sleek, black car. His familiar, warm smile greeted her, softening his otherwise stern features.

"Alara, darling," he said, his tone rich with affection, "how are you, my little star?"

She laughed, leaning back comfortably. "I'm good, Papa. Just got back from the event. You know how those things are chaotic, but it went well."

He chuckled softly, his eyes sparkling with pride. "I'm sure you were the highlight of the night, as always. You've always had a way of stealing the show."

"Well, you taught me well," she teased, her lips curving up. "What about you? Where are you off to?"

His smile deepened as he glanced out the window at the passing city lights. "Actually, I'm on my way to you."

Alara blinked in surprise. "You're coming over? Right now?"

"Yes," he confirmed, his voice casual but firm. "There's something I'd like to talk to you about. Don't worry, it's nothing bad. Just thought we could catch up properly."

A small flicker of curiosity sparked in Alara's chest. It wasn't unusual for her father to drop by, but the timing felt a bit... unexpected.

Still, she wasn't about to question it. She always enjoyed their time together.

"Of course," she said with a soft smile. "You know you're always welcome. I'll make sure everything's ready."

Her father's face softened, his gaze full of affection. "Good girl. I won't keep you long, just a quick visit. Should be there in about ten minutes."

Alara nodded, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Alright, I'll be here. It'll be nice to see you."

He leaned back in his seat, his eyes studying her face through the screen for a moment. "How's everything else going? Everything at the event was smooth, I hope?"

Alara paused briefly before answering, the earlier feeling of unease brushing against her thoughts for just a moment. But she quickly pushed it aside.

There was no point in worrying him over something so trivial. "Yeah, everything was fine. Just the usual crowd and cameras. You know how it is."