7.

"Doctor, how is she?" Eric asked the doctor whom he had called over to check on Ella.

The doctor who was packing up his equipment glanced at his obviously worried client. "She is fine. As long as she keeps warm and gets some rest, she would be fine."

Eric nodded before glancing at the nearly full chicken soup that Ella refused to take. After saying his goodbyes to the doctor, he moved closer to her.

"Should I have the kitchen make you something else?" Ella watched her father unable to understand his abrupt change.

"I am fine. I just need to sleep." She needed him gone. He was messing with her head, and besides she had to check her stocks.

"But you heard the doctor. Do you want to suffer from a cold? You need to take something that would keep your stomach warm. Please... Tell me what you want, anything and I promise it will be brought to you." Eric promised her.

"Why?" Ella asked.

"To avoid..."

"I mean why the sudden change? Why are you suddenly caring for me?" Eric was tongue-tied. He wanted to tell her because he is her father and it is his responsibility, but he has failed her so many times that he couldn't bring himself to shamelessly say such words so he just sat at the edge of her bed quietly.

"Father..." Ella urged. She was curious. Was this life different from the past? But most things had happened just as she remembered it. "Does your sudden change in character have anything to do with what I had said during that last dinner together?"

Ella couldn't think of any other explanation; her father had been acting differently ever since that evening; he hadn't even been joining them for any meals. 'But why? Why would his reactions be different?' Ella wondered. Even in her past life, she had come to him to tell him about Emily and Lucian's relationship. He had told her she must be mistaken, that Emily wouldn't do that to her. And after that...

"Because I am your father. I know I have failed you for the most part of your life; you must have hated me, and I am so sorry. I am sorry I didn't see your silent cries. I am sorry I was blind to trust your stepmother so foolishly. I am sorry Ella, I really am. And although there is a possibility of me being late already, I intend to start now. It might not be a perfect relationship, but I don't mind, I just want to patch up whatever little I can. Please would you let me care for you now?" Ella silently watched her proud, grumpy father as he held her feet. He allowed her to see his nervousness, his vulnerability.

"I..." Ella began, but Eric quickly shook his head at her, "I know I must be asking for too much right now, but you do not have to give me a reply this night. We can revisit this some other time, but I just hope you would let me do the little things I can without complaint." Eric told her, "Starting from you telling me what you want to eat." Ella chuckled.

It felt strange; she had been so disappointed in her father in her past life to think that just an apology from him was making her this happy.

"Can it be turkey soup instead of chicken?" Ella asked, an excited Eric nodded continuously as he left to ask the kitchen maids to prepare a fresh bowl for Ella.

"You can heat the chicken soup up and send it to Emily's room." As disappointed as he was at Emily, she is still his daughter.

When he returned to Ella's room, he found her on her laptop. Eric quietly sat at the edge of the bed as he watched her.

"You do know it is weird to be stared at so openly right?" Ella asked her father as she closed her laptop and dropped it beside her.

"Why? I cannot stare at my daughter?" Eric asked causing Ella to snort.

"May I ask you a question?" Ella asked.

"Of course, anything."

"Stepmother and stepsister said you had a surprise for me, what is it?" Ella was still very much curious about why her father hadn't announced her engagement with Lucian that night.

"Oh, that..." Eric once again didn't know what to say. He couldn't possibly tell his daughter that he had almost gotten her engaged to her sister's boyfriend. "I will give it to you some other time." Eric smiled. He decided it was best to just look for something nice and gift her.

Ella bit her lower lips, hearing his response; she had really thought he would tell her. "Is it true you were going to get me engaged with Lucian?" She decided to pretend as though she had heard of it.

"You knew?" Ella nodded. "I am sorry Ella, but I..."

"You didn't even ask me." Ella accused. In her past life, she hadn't been bothered about her father not seeking her opinion about this as she had liked Lucian so much.

"You liked him. I saw how you look at him, and when his family suggested a union between both families, I thought it would be a great gift for you. I am sorry, I should have sought your opinion, I was wrong." Eric had only discussed it with Clara, he had thought since his daughter was infatuated with Lucian, and with him helping Lucian's family with the financial situation they were in, they would surely treat his daughter well.

Nodding, "Is that why you didn't announce it? Because you suddenly felt you needed to ask for my permission?" Ella wondered if the fact that her father's character was changing in this present life had been the reason.

Eric looked away awkwardly. 'That hadn't been the reason.' Ella noted.

"Father? Didn't you say you want us to mend our relationship? One thing about me is that I hate being curious." Ella told her father who sighed with a small chuckle.

"No, that hadn't been the reason. I just found out that maybe you two aren't compatible." Ella frowned thinking why the sudden thought. Thinking back at the event of the evening, she suddenly recalled how Eric had frowned when Lucian had pulled Emily out of the pool.

'Could it be?' She wondered. "You are right. He and stepsister would be much more compatible together." Ella told her father with a smile as she watched his reaction. Seeing the look on his face confirmed her suspicion, 'he knows.'

But if knowing about this made him stop the announcement, then why had his reaction been so different in her past life? Would he have acted on it if...

"You know about those two?" Eric asked frowning, as Ella nodded.

"It is hard to not know when they are always together." She told her father.

"I am sorry. I didn't know, I just saw you liked him and I didn't take notice of anything else." Ella nodded, she had indeed been so foolishly infatuated by him.

"Father, since the two families have agreed to form a union, why don't you just announce sister's engagement with Lucian instead." Ella suggested. She was curious to see how Lucian and his parents would react. Of course, she knows very well why Lucian had wanted to be engaged to her. He may love Emily, but right now, Emily cannot help him at all.

Lucian's grandfather had left their family business to his oldest uncle, but his uncle had no kids of his own, and his grandparents became worried as they were getting older, besides, their business wasn't striving as it was in the past. Lucian is worried because he has a cousin who is also a strong contender for the position of the CEO seat.

Whoever among them can bring in a strong support will definitely be the next CEO of their family's business. Lucian had used her in the past to achieve his goal.

"You are right, that way, I won't be going back on my words." Eric said smiling. 'It isn't like I signed any contract that he would be engaged to Ella.' Eric couldn't help but wonder why Lucian hadn't spoken out about his relationship with Emily.

"Awesome! I am sure stepsister would be very much happy to know about this." Ella smiled widely.

"Are you that happy?" Eric asked seeing the big smile on his daughter's face.

"Of course I am very happy. I won't have to be engaged with someone who doesn't love me." Eric nodded agreeing with her. 'Maybe if he hadn't asked Clara to move in and help him take care of Ella, she wouldn't have to also endure being with him.' Eric sighed, 'Is her grievance the reason why she treated Ella that way?' He couldn't help but wonder.

"And father, can I ask for a favor?" Eric nodded, happy to fulfill any favor of hers. "Can I transfer school? I want to leave, far away from here."

"No." Eric replied sternly.

"But, I don't have friends here. Since high school, I have had to deal with bullies." Seeing her dad's hardened gaze, "The bullying was more psychological than physical. I am tired dad, I want to leave." She called me Dad. Eric noted.

"But you will be away from home." Eric stated,

"And we will talk every day if you want." She told him.

"Would leaving make you happy?" Ella nodded rigorously. She had intended on leaving ever since she woke up; her ticket had already been booked, but now, she couldn't bring herself to suddenly leave. Hence she decided to tell her father.

"Alright." Eric sighed. He figured it would be for the best. He didn't know what her school life was like, so he wouldn't force her to stay if she was uncomfortable.

"Thanks, Father." Ella smiled.

"Dad..." Eric corrected.

"Thanks, Dad." They both smiled as a maid soon walked in holding the bowl of freshly made turkey soup.

"It is still too hot, let it cool down before drinking it. I will come back to confirm you drank it all, okay?" Eric told Ella before leaving the room. Since their break would be over soon, he decided the earlier he called the school management and got the transfer procedure started, the better.