boyutpedia Chapter 586: Rejection
Chapter 586: Rejection
That was the very last thing she wanted. Because of that, she rejected his offer without the slightest hesitation.Philip slowly clenched his fists beneath the table, his knuckles turning pale.
For the first time, he looked at Lana with a slightly trembling gaze.
Only now did he realize something.
Back then, whenever Thessy rejected gifts while living with the family, she would eventually accept them after pretending to refuse for a while.
It had always looked like she was simply teasing them before accepting whatever was offered, especially if it involved money.
But Lana, she wasn’t willing to accept even a single coin from the Peterson family.
It was as though every piece of their wealth was stained with something filthy.
’Or... is it simply that she hates us this much? No... maybe it isn’t hatred anymore. Maybe it’s complete indifference.’
That realization hurt even more. Philip lowered his head before letting out another helpless sigh.
"Lana..." he called softly. "Can’t you be a little more of a gold digger?"
Lana couldn’t help laughing.
"Oh my God," she said with amusement. "I’m honestly not understanding this. Before, you were worried that I was some kind of gold digger, but..."
"No way!"
Philip interrupted her immediately, sounding almost offended. "I never thought you were a gold digger."
He spoke without even pausing to think.
Because, deep inside his heart, he had always believed that Lana had every right to demand money from the Peterson family.
If he had been abandoned the way she had... if he had suffered everything she went through... he would’ve taken every last coin they owned without feeling guilty for even a second.
The only reason he had acted differently before... was because he had been slightly biased toward Thessy. That was all.
Lana raised an eyebrow before letting out another amused chuckle.
"Well..." she said. "That’s surprisingly refreshing to hear after the attitude you’ve shown me before."
She folded her arms. "I honestly thought you saw me as nothing more than a gold digger."
Philip immediately shook his head. "No."
His answer came without hesitation. "I didn’t."
He looked directly into her eyes before continuing. "And even if you were a gold digger... what’s wrong with that?"
This time... Lana was genuinely stunned.
Even Alex, who had remained silent the entire time, glanced toward Philip in surprise before quietly looking away.
He knew Philip like the back of his hand.
Although the young man could be overly emotional at times, when he truly calmed down, he often saw things far more clearly than most people.
Philip continued in a calm yet firm voice.
"Lana... even if you took away every penny from the Peterson family... or even if you stayed with us only because of money..."
He paused for a brief second. "...it still wouldn’t change the fact that everything belonged to you in the first place."
Lana pressed her lips together. She slowly closed her eyes.
’Don’t listen. Don’t let those words reach your heart.’
She refused to allow herself to be moved by him. After a few silent seconds, she let out a light chuckle.
"Well... thank you."
She smiled faintly. "It looks like you see things much more clearly now."
With that, she slowly stood up from her chair. "I’m not in the mood to eat dinner anymore."
Without another glance, she turned and began walking toward the exit. Philip immediately became flustered.
"W-Wait!" he called after her. "Did I say something wrong?"
Lana didn’t even stop.
She simply raised a hand and waved it lazily. "No."
She paused for only a moment before adding, "I just felt that you’re being very fake."
Philip froze. He watched silently as Lana disappeared through the doorway.
Only after she was completely gone did he slowly lower his gaze. His fists tightened until his nails dug into his palms.
’A complete failure...’
With a tired sigh, he leaned back against his chair before covering his eyes. Meanwhile, Alex stood up.
Before following Lana outside, he paused beside Philip and gently patted him on the shoulder.
"It was a good start."
Philip only shook his head bitterly. "I’ve already messed everything up."
His voice was filled with regret. "It looks like she’ll never forgive me."
Alex merely shook his head. He didn’t comfort him. Nor did he deny his words.
Instead, he simply walked away, allowing Philip to drown in his guilt for a little longer.
After all... among everyone in the Peterson family... Philip had treated Lana the worst.
There were harsh truths he still needed to face on his own. Meanwhile, Lana quietly walked outside.
The cool evening breeze brushed against her face, carrying the faint scent of damp earth, yet it failed to calm the turmoil inside her chest.
She knew she couldn’t make things easy for the Peterson family. The moment she realized Philip’s words were beginning to affect her... she had chosen to leave immediately.
Because if she stayed any longer... she might actually forgive him.
And she wasn’t ready for that. After getting into the car, she leaned against the seat and slowly closed her eyes.
She knew Alex hadn’t followed her immediately. He was most likely giving Philip a few words of advice.
She didn’t stop him. Nor did she care enough to ask. Roughly a minute later, the passenger door opened.
Alex quietly got into the car before closing the door behind him. Instead of talking about Philip, Lana spoke first.
"Today... Fay acted a little strangely."
Alex turned toward her. Lana slowly opened her eyes.
"I think she’s most likely been contacted by someone from the GA Organization."
She became silent for a brief moment before asking, "Is it possible for Wade and Christina to send messages from the prison they’re being held in?"
Alex’s expression stiffened for a fraction of a second. He thought carefully before answering. "Most likely not."
After a short pause, he let out a quiet sigh.
"Lana... don’t worry about this for now. I’ll investigate it myself. You should focus on the National Mystical Competition."