Chapter 3 I Have A Condition

Word of Eliana's imprisonment had already spread through the Shaw family.

Standing rigid before the bodyguards, the butler kept his face perfectly blank, yet the quiet authority he carried made it clear he was anything but an ordinary servant.

Hearing Iris' remark, Eliana felt the storm inside her gradually settle into a cold, steady calm.

With a controlled motion, she brushed Iris' hand aside and lifted her gaze, her striking eyes distant and sharp. "So you're mocking the Shaw family-the wealthiest in the region-for choosing to marry a woman who's been to prison?"

Turning the accusation with effortless precision, she redirected the tension back onto Iris, exposing the insult hidden beneath her words.

A heavy silence suddenly fell over the room.

Reacting at once, John rose to his feet, forcing a strained smile as he hurried to ease the situation, fully aware that even a mere butler from the Shaw family was someone he could not afford to offend.

"Iris is only concerned about Eliana-please, forgive her," he remarked evenly, shooting Iris a sharp, cautioning look.

Biting down on her irritation, Iris forced her lips into a brittle smile, though her fingers curled subtly at her sides. "John. Eliana is about to marry into the most powerful family around," she said lightly, her voice sweet but edged. "So it's fine if she misunderstands me-as long as she doesn't waste your good intentions."

Although her words sounded like defense, the remark landed with precision, pressing directly against John's deepest worry.

Shadow crept across his face, his expression darkening in an instant.

That look was one Eliana recognized all too well. Back then, whenever she refused to obey or play along, he would wear that same stern expression before launching into a suffocating cycle of guilt and pressure, dangling rewards while tightening punishment until she gave in.

This time, though, she refused to fall for it again. Since returning to the Marshall family at fourteen, she had endured far more exploitation than anyone should have. Now, at last, she intended to reclaim everything owed to her, one deliberate step at a time.

A faint, knowing smile tugged at her lips as her eyes turned glacial.

"I'll agree to the marriage-but I have one condition," she declared, her voice calm but unyielding.

"A condition? What condition? After being handed such a rare opportunity, you still have the nerve to make demands?" As she watched Eliana push further, Phyllis' composure began to crack, frustration flickering across her face.

Eliana offered Phyllis nothing but a frosty, indifferent glance before replying in a calm, cutting tone, "Since you're so convinced it's such a wonderful opportunity, why don't you hand it over to Iris?"

"You!" Rage choked Phyllis mid-breath, leaving her glaring without words.

Deep down, she would have done exactly that without hesitation. Originally, the marriage with the Shaw family had been arranged for Iris from the very beginning. Everything had been set in motion-until, after a single afternoon nap, Iris abruptly refused, declaring she would never go through with it. Iris insisted that the Shaw family heir was already disabled and had no interest in women, making the entire arrangement nothing more than a hollow sham.

Shock rippled through them, and they wasted no time investigating. What they uncovered only confirmed Iris' claims were entirely true. Even so, walking away from a chance to ally with the most powerful family in the city was something they simply couldn't accept. Fortunately for them, Iris had offered a convenient solution-Eliana could take her place.

Regaining her composure with visible effort, Phyllis pressed her lips into a strained, apologetic smile and said, "Fine. You've taken Iris' place and borne the burden for her, so it's only reasonable you'd ask for something in return. Go ahead-what's your condition?"

Eliana let a quiet, amused smile slip across her face. "I want the wedding gifts you prepared for Iris."

"What?"

Stunned silence hung in the air as Phyllis, John, and Iris stared at her.

Across the room, a chilling glint flashed through Iris' eyes before she smoothed it over, forcing a cooperative tone. "That's perfectly fair," she said quickly. "John already mentioned that we could take half of the groom's gifts with us on our wedding day anyway."

At those words, a low, derisive laugh slipped from Eliana. A calculating edge threaded through Iris' words, each phrase placed with careful precision. Eliana understood that the Marshall family was trying to dodge giving her anything while still eyeing a share of what the Shaw family would provide.

Tilting her chin, she spoke with practiced composure. "How could you possibly confuse gifts from the bride's side with those from the groom's? In this day and age, does the bride's family still think it's acceptable to take what the groom's family gives her? That would only invite ridicule. Besides, representatives from both the Shaw and Ward families are present."

Her pointed remarks drained the color from the Marshall family's faces in an instant.

Phyllis' expression tightened, the corners of her mouth twitching as her composure began to unravel.

Forcing out a brittle laugh, she faltered. "O-Of course we wouldn't do something like that..." Hesitation crept into her voice before she pressed on awkwardly. "It's just... when it comes to wedding gifts, Iris is marrying into a less affluent household than yours. She needs to keep some funds for her own security. But you... you're marrying into the wealthiest family. You'll never lack money, so why would you need those gifts at all?"

Eliana huffed under her breath. In her previous life, she hadn't learned the truth until after the wedding-Phyllis had prepared a list of extravagant gifts for Iris, while leaving her with absolutely nothing.

At the time, Phyllis had said, "Iris is marrying into the wealthiest family, so she needs to own more cash and properties. That way, she won't be looked down on. You're only marrying into an ordinary rich family, so there's no need to make such a fuss."

Now, with bitter irony, the entire situation had turned upside down.

With a steady voice, Eliana remarked, "Mom, you've got it backward. Because I'm marrying into the most powerful family, my wedding gifts from my parents can't look cheap-otherwise, people will think poorly of us. Just think about it. If we offend the Shaw family, we won't just lose future benefits, we could damage our entire business. You wouldn't want that, would you? As for Iris, she's only marrying into a moderately wealthy household. There's no need for anything extravagant."

With deliberate intent, she shifted her gaze toward the Shaw family's butler, her eyes cool and calculating, and queried, "Wouldn't you agree?"