"Collin," Patricia called out softly, trying to get his attention, but it wasn't working. She couldn't blame him for his reaction as anyone in his position would respond the same way, if not worse. She only hoped he would give her a chance to explain.
Just then, Kay appeared and leaned in to whisper something into Roman's ear, prompting him to drop his gaze from Patricia.
Kay stepped forward and said, "Your friend is outside, Miss Patricia. She won't stop screaming unless you come out."
Patricia's eyes widened. Something had to be wrong, Zara would never act that way unless it was serious. And for some reason, Patricia had a sinking feeling it had to do with her family.
She hesitated, glancing at Collin, who still stood with his back to her. It hurt that he wouldn't even look her way. Leaving without explaining things would only deepen the misunderstanding, but she couldn't risk further angering the old woman, not when everything had already spiraled out of control.
"Collin, I have to tend to my friend. I will call you as soon as I can and explain everything," she said.
He scoffed and turned to face her. "What other explanation do I need?" He shot back before walking out of the house.
"Collin!!" Patricia called, moving to follow, but Kay stepped in her path and reminded her, "It would be best to attend to your friend first, Miss."
Patricia stopped and sighed heavily, glancing in the direction Collin had gone before finally nodding at Kay and heading out.
Outside the gate, Zara spotted her immediately. "Patricia!!" She called, running toward her with a look of deep concern that made Patricia's heart race. Things were only getting worse, with no sign of getting better.
"You need to get home now. The old woman knows everything," Zara revealed.
Patricia's knees buckled, and Zara caught her just in time, guiding her toward the car.
"Here," Zara said once they were inside, handing her the phone before starting the engine and speeding off.
Patricia looked down at the phone. Forty missed calls from her mother. She was in deep trouble now.
There was no doubt the old woman was furious. And this time, it might go beyond grounding. Could it really be time to be disowned?
But how had the old woman found out so quickly? Unless… her stepmother had been spying on her. That was the only explanation. And she had no one to blame but herself. She had been so overwhelmed by the fake marriage situation that she stopped being cautious.
When they reached her family's house, Zara offered to go in with her in case things got out of hand, but Patricia insisted on handling it alone. The old woman wasn't easily appeased, and dragging Zara into her mess would only make things worse.
After some convincing, she managed to get Zara to wait outside and went in alone.
"Patricia! Where have you been?! You made all of us worried!" Her mother exclaimed, rushing up to her and grabbing her hands.
The sudden show of concern almost made Patricia scoff.
"Us? Not you?" Patricia snapped, her voice cold and unflinching. For the first time in her life, she dared to confront her mother and to her surprise, she didn't feel even a flicker of guilt. She had nothing left to lose. The old woman was going to disown her anyway, and honestly, that felt more like freedom than punishment.
Her mother stood frozen, stunned by the defiance in Patricia's voice. Patricia pulled her hands from her grasp and walked past her without a second glance, heading straight for the old woman's room. As she moved through the hallway, the maids whispered behind her and threw her their usual judging stares, but she didn't flinch. Not this time. She had spent too many years letting their opinions cage her, never again.
Just as she reached the door and raised her hand to knock, a voice called out from inside.
"Come in."
She paused, inhaled deeply, then pushed the door open.
As expected, the entire tribunal was assembled, the old woman seated in her chair like a queen before her court, surrounded by her father, stepmother, stepsister, and a few other relatives. They stood like guards flanking their monarch, silent and poised, their eyes ready to strike.
"You have finally decided to come home," her stepmother sneered.
Patricia didn't even look her way. Her gaze was locked on the old woman, waiting…refusing to speak until spoken to. There was no point defending herself in front of this crowd. The judgment had already been passed in whispers long before she arrived. Her stepmother and stepsister would have made sure of that.
The old woman dropped a piece of paper onto the floor in front of her.
"Is this true?" She asked, voice cool and deliberate.
Patricia didn't need to look. She already knew it was the marriage certificate.
"Yes," she said flatly.
A gasp rippled through the room. No stammering. No apologies. Just the truth, delivered without flinching. For once, Patricia stood tall.
"Do you even understand what you have done?" Her stepmother snapped, incredulous. "You went behind your family's back to get married? To the second richest man in the city, no less! Tell us, what trick did you use to get him? Are you pregnant?!"
Patricia nearly laughed. Her stepmother's performance was so convincing, it could win awards. She almost believed her, herself.
"Shouldn't you know better than I do?" Patricia replied, tilting her head. "You were the one who arranged the marriage… Mother."
The room went silent. All heads turned to Lisa.
"This was your doing?" Her father asked, his tone uncertain.
"She's obviously trying to frame me to save herself!" Lisa snapped, her voice sharp as knives. "Why would I choose a man for her when I can't even decide Clara's marriage myself?"
Her glare pinned Patricia's father in place, and he immediately looked away. If there was one person he feared more than the old woman, it was Lisa. Her grip on him was ironclad.
"Enough!" The old woman barked, her voice thunderous.
Everyone fell silent, taking a step back as her presence loomed larger than ever.
"Then explain this…how did you end up sleeping over at his place if you had nothing to do with this marriage?" She asked Patricia directly, eyes narrowing.
"I was trying to find a way to annul the marriage certificate," Patricia said, her voice quieter now but still firm. "That's the only reason I stayed. I had no part in orchestrating this marriage, and I have no love for Mr. Roman. I would be grateful if you could help me cancel it."
She bowed her head, the weight of everything pressing down now. It had taken everything in her to stand up this long. Her resolve was starting to crack but not yet. Not until she said everything that needed to be said.