Aristocracy101

Chapter 16

Two Weeks Later

Lilian had quickly settled into her role as the mistress of the Johnson family. She memorized the names of everyone from the servants to the guards. In many ways, married life wasn’t that different from her previous existence. Managing household expenses, shopping for accessories, and cooking for her beloved husband, Oliver—though he rarely ate the meals she made—became her routine.

Still, she had the freedom she had longed for, and, her father was proud of her. At least, that’s what she told herself.

The Johnson family had kept their word, and her family’s business was flourishing. It had shot up from being the 60th most successful company in the country to the 20th. Her father was no longer scolding her. Things seemed perfect…

Arrrgggggghhhhh... 😫😫

No, it wasn’t perfect.

Oliver barely spoke to her, and he was hardly ever home. She had tried visiting him at the company when she found out Mr. Johnson had given him a position as his personal secretary’s assistant to train him as the heir. But each time, she was denied entry, told he was too busy to entertain her. She could see the sympathetic glances from the employees from time to time and it would be a lie to say that it didn't hurt.

But like she always says,

The road to winning Oliver’s heart was long, but she would conquer it. She could do this.

Right now, Lilian was lost in thought, planning her next jewelry design.

Oh, wait—did she forget to mention that she was an internationally renowned jewelry designer?

Her bad… Hehe.

Under the alias Annie, Lilian designed exclusive pieces that were highly sought after by the wealthiest heiresses and royals. Each new design created a frenzy, and her pieces were only available for a limited time. She always wore a mask and used a voice changer at events to keep her identity hidden.

No one knew who she was—not even Oliver or her close friends. She didn’t want them to think she was anything special. She just wanted to be normal Lilian, blending in with their world.

Lilian had studied Business Administration, not jewelry design. She had chosen the course because her older sister had run away. She couldn’t bear the thought of letting her father’s empire fall apart. So, even though her heart was set on design, she pushed her dreams aside to secure the family’s future.

While everyone else crammed for exams, Lilian studied design in secret. She never told her friends about it. Their lives were perfect, and she didn’t want to burden them with her problems. Zoey studied cyber security, while Ivy was a year ahead of her in Business Administration. Lilian often took time off for art expeditions, offering excuses to Zoey and Ivy. Since Oliver and the other guys went to different universities, she didn’t need to explain herself to them.

Thanks to Elvis—her agent who discovered her work and pushed to publicize it—Lilian’s jewelry became a sensation overnight. She started taking her Business Administration exams online, pulling strings to continue her studies while focusing on design. Her father never asked how she was doing in school, so it was easy to slip in and out of university without raising suspicion.

She never told him about her jewelry career. She knew how he would react—he was profit-driven, and the thought of her becoming a cash cow for his business dealings and political schemes terrified her.

Shivers...

Her life would never be her own if her father knew.

Besides, their family’s main business wasn’t even jewelry—it was real estate.

She was still scared of her father. He would do anything for money and status. He had no boundaries when it came to business and control.

Knock knock.

The sound of her bedroom door being knocked on jolted Lilian from her thoughts.