35 Brushstrokes of Change

"Hello, can I help you?" Lia asked, a polite smile on her face. The woman, dressed in a striking red dress with a high slit, gave Lia a disdainful once-over. "Don't you recognize me, Ms. Lia?" "I'm sorry, I don't," Lia replied, shaking her head. "The Taggert family was all set to form a marriage alliance with the Cortez family, but then, you showed up out of nowhere." It was none other than Quinn, the Taggert family's young lady. "What on earth does Damon see in you?" Quinn scrutinized Lia from head to toe. "Can you even contribute anything to his business?" Family alliances were, in essence, exchanges of resources. For the prominent families, it meant doing business as usual. Damon was the first to shatter this unspoken rule. Lia remained silent. "Damon won't fall for anyone, and that includes you," Quinn declared haughtily to Lia. "Even if he has a shred of genuine feelings for you now, it won't be long before you're cast aside." Lia responded with a col