It was already almost night, and the clock displayed 6:45 PM.
Élisa stood in her room, running around in a panic and shouting, completely stressed out:
— What am I going to wear?! What am I going to wear?!
She grabbed a blue sweater, then immediately tossed it aside.
— No, not this! A black hoodie? No way... I only have pants and a ton of hoodies!
Exhausted, she collapsed onto her bed, surrounded by a mess of clothes. Holding her head in her hands, she sighed:
— I'm doomed… I've never been to a party in my life.
She picked up her phone and thought:
— Who could help me?
Scrolling through her contacts, she suddenly exclaimed:
— Oh, of course… Ino!
She immediately called her.
— Hello, Ino?
— Yeah, hey Élisa, what's up?
— Well, uh… You know, I've never been to a party, so I don't have any proper clothes… Could you help me?
Before she could even finish her sentence, she already heard Ino's voice downstairs.
— Hello, sir! Is Élisa here?
Her father responded:
— Oh, Ino? You're looking for Élisa? She's upstairs.
— Thanks!
Élisa froze.
— Wait, there's no way she got here that fast! That's impossible!
A moment later, her bedroom door flew open. Ino burst in, arms full of clothes, her face filled with excitement:
— Here I am! I brought tons of outfits for you to try on!
Élisa waved her hands frantically:
— No, no, that wasn't necessary!
Confident, Ino replied:
— Don't worry, you're going to look like a real top model. I promise, you're going to shine!
She grabbed Élisa's arm and dragged her in front of the mirror. After several outfit changes, they finally settled on a short gray dress that fit her perfectly.
Ino collapsed onto the bed, exhausted:
— Finally! Just like I told you… You shine like a K-pop singer!
Élisa looked at herself in the mirror, feeling uncomfortable.
— Uh… Don't you think this outfit is a bit too flashy? Seriously, I'm not used to wearing this kind of thing, Ino…
Exasperated, Ino leaned on the table and sighed:
— Élisa… You have to stop dressing like an undercover FBI agent! Dress like a girl your age, not like a fugitive on the run!
Élisa lowered her head.
— Alright… I'll wear the dress, but only to make you happy.
She then took a long scarf and slipped it into her bag.
— Just in case… I could cover up with this.
Ino looked at her, completely desperate:
— You, seriously… You're an old lady at heart!
The two of them burst into laughter.
After a while, they went downstairs together. Her father, dressed in a jacket, was adjusting his buttons when he saw Élisa. He stopped in his tracks, astonished:
— Wow… You look beautiful.
Élisa smiled.
— Thanks, Dad.
Tears welled up in his eyes as he sniffled loudly:
— Aaah… My daughter looks like a real top model! Thank you so much, Ino!
Ino puffed out her chest with pride:
— Oh, no problem!
Then she laughed and added:
— Your dad is just as sentimental as you, huh?
Embarrassed, Élisa replied:
— Yeah… Every time we watch a drama or read a novel on Webnovel, like Husband of the Heiress, we cry like babies…
— Ah, I see, Ino said, amused.
Her father got serious again and declared:
— Alright, we have to go. The future in-laws are waiting for us there.
They stepped out of the house. Before getting into the car, he said to Ino:
— You can come back anytime.
Ino smiled:
— Alright, see you later!
Then, suddenly, she changed her expression and stared at Élisa seriously.
— Don't forget… Don't look at him, don't get close to him, okay?
Élisa nodded:
— Yes, ma'am.
Ino grinned:
— Well, good luck!
She walked off toward her house while Élisa's father started the car.
Online Surprise
In the car, Élisa recalled what had happened earlier at school. Amir had wanted to talk to her… But why?
She thought.
— That guy looks like a prince… What was his name again? Amir… Lema?
Curious, she pulled out her phone and typed "Lema" into Roogle.
> Note: Roogle is a highly used web browser on the Internet.
When she saw the search results, her eyes widened.
She came across an article from Kinshasa News that read:
"Once again today, the Lema family has shocked the world by purchasing six new diamond mines. Their fortune has now reached 205,000,000,000 billion euros, equivalent to 588,201,508,205,638 billion Congolese francs. The Lema family is officially the richest in Africa."
Élisa stared at the screen, completely stunned.
Then, she saw a picture of the Lema family.
Amir was right in the center.
She felt her heart stop.
— Wait… That guy… is a billionaire?!!