Infinite Wealth System: Crazy Tasks, Insane Rewards!
Chapter 56: "I’m Not A Child Anymore, Dad"

Chapter 56: "I’m Not A Child Anymore, Dad"

The moment the gates of the Frost villa opened, Camillia could already sense the storm waiting inside. The familiar sight of the mansion brought a strange mixture of comfort and anxiety.

Comfort because it was home, and anxiety because she knew her father was waiting.

Waiting and fuming.

The car hadn’t even fully stopped when the butler, Davis, rushed out, his expression strained.

"Miss Camillia," Davis whispered urgently as he opened the door, "The Master is... in a mood."

Camillia offered him a tired smile. "I figured."

She stepped out of the car, her posture calm, composed. She had been away for two days—two days that felt like a breath of freedom to her, but to Heston Frost, it was nothing short of a scandal.

As she entered the building, the atmosphere inside was thick. The tension almost seemed to stick to the walls, making the silence even heavier. The clicking of her heels echoed as she ascended the stairs. And there, at the top, standing tall with an unreadable expression, was her father.

His piercing eyes locked on her as she approached. For a moment, neither spoke. His jaw clenched, and his hands were clasped tightly behind his back, a stance she knew all too well. It was the one he used when he was desperately trying to control his temper.

Finally, he broke the silence, his voice cold yet controlled.

"Where have you been?"

Camillia exhaled softly. "I wasn’t kidnapped, Father."

"That’s not what I asked."

He glared.

"I went to see a friend," Camillia finally gave a straight answer.

"A friend," Heston repeated, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "You disappeared for two whole days, Camillia. Without a single word. No calls. No messages. Do you think I’m a fool?"

She bit her lip, trying not to lose her composure. "I’m not a child anymore, Father. I don’t owe you an explanation for every step I take."

"Don’t you dare play grown-up with me!" Heston suddenly barked, his voice booming across the hall. "I know exactly where you were. You were with that... that Jayden Cole... the son of that damned fraud!"

Camillia’s expression hardened. She had expected this, but hearing the disgust in her father’s voice still stung.

"Jayden is not who you think he is," she replied firmly, her voice unwavering. "And you have no right to insult him like that."

"No right?" Heston’s eyes widened with fury. "The boy’s father is a disgraced criminal, Camillia! A man who stole huge millions from a large company! And now you... you—my daughter, dare to associate yourself with the son of a thief? When the entire royal family watches us?"

"His father was framed," Camillia said, standing her ground.

"That’s what he told you?" Heston laughed bitterly. "Of course, he would say that. They always do."

"It’s not just his word," she pressed on. "There are things you don’t know, Father. Things none of you have cared to know. You’ve all written him off because it was convenient. But Jayden has built himself up from nothing. And he’s becoming someone, someone far greater than most of the men you try to parade in front of me."

Heston’s face turned red with anger. "Greater? Greater than the prince himself? Prince Kael was here yesterday, Camillia!" he shouted, slamming his palm against the wooden rail. "He waited for you for hours. Do you have any idea what your absence means? What it costs us?"

Camillia heaved a frustrated sigh, clenching her fists. "I didn’t ask for an arranged marriage with Prince Kael."

"This isn’t about your feelings!" Heston roared. "This is about our family! About our future! About securing our place with the royal household! Do you think alliances like these fall from the sky?"

She shook her head, fighting to keep her voice calm. "You mean your alliances, Father. Your ambitions. Not mine."

Heston narrowed his eyes. "I will not allow you to throw away everything we’ve built for some... infatuation with a lowlife!"

"That ’lowlife’ is not the same boy you keep calling him," she snapped. "Jayden has risen beyond anything you ever imagined. People in the city are already starting to recognize him. And soon enough, you and everyone else will see exactly who he is. He’s not beneath anyone."

"Enough!" Heston snapped, his voice sharp and filled with venom. "You’re blinded, Camillia. You’re a Frost. That name carries weight. And you think you can just throw it away because of some ridiculous teenage romance?"

"This isn’t some teenage romance," Camillia shot back, her voice stronger now. "You think everything I do is foolish just because it doesn’t serve your agenda."

Her father rubbed his temples, pacing like a lion trapped in a cage. He was already getting tired of her comebacks, and just felt like he should tie her up or give her some dose of obedience to whatever he said.

"You are playing with fire, Camillia. If you destroy the alliance with the royal family, I will not protect you from the consequences."

Camillia took a deep breath.

"Then so be it."

Heston froze, staring at her as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. She was bold, confident...

This wasn’t the Camillia he knew.

"I’ve lived my entire life doing what you wanted, following every rule, every arrangement. But this is my life, Father. My life. And the man I choose to spend the rest of it with is my decision to make."

Heston’s face twitched with rage, but for the first time, there was also a glimmer of helplessness in his eyes. He had never seen his daughter stand this tall, this defiant. For a moment, the room was filled with nothing but the heavy sound of their breathing.

"You have no idea what you’re doing," he finally muttered, shaking his head. "No idea at all."

Camillia straightened her back, looking him dead in the eyes.

"Maybe not. But I’m willing to find out."

With that, she turned and began walking toward her room, leaving her father standing frozen behind her, lost in his own storm of frustration and disbelief.

As she climbed the stairs, her heart pounded, but not from fear. For the first time in her life, she had chosen her own path. Whether it led to peace or to war, she would no longer live under anyone’s shadow.

She was a woman of her own now.