As Lily stepped out of the restaurant, her body shook with fear, and her mind was disturbed. She knew Louis well enough so, she was certain he wasn’t a bluffer.
‘Would he harm Tony?’ She thought as she took slow strides out of the building. Lily knew it would kill her if anything were to happen to Tony because of her.
Lily was still deep in thought when she felt her body crash into a wall…. a person, rather.
“I’m so sorry.” Lily apologized without raising her head and was about to leave but was pulled back by this person. Wondering who it was, Lily lifted her head only to be met with Tony staring at her.
“Are you okay?” Tony asked with a worried expression. “You’re going in the wrong direction. The car is this way.” He pointed in the opposite direction and Lily looked around, finally realizing that she had been walking to the wrong street when the car was the other way.
“Oh…” She blinked and bit her lips nervously.
“What happened in there, Lily? What did he say to make you this way?” Tony asked. He knew she was already already nervous before going in but this time around, he could tell that Louis had said something to her.
“Huh?” Lily asked, making sure her eyes didn’t meet his.
“Answer me, Lily. What did he say? Did he threaten you?” Tony asked with clenched teeth, already raging.
Seeing how vexed he was, Lily wondered if it would be right to tell him about Louis’s threat. She feared that Louis would do exactly as he said the minute he found out that she told Tony.
“Don’t even think about lying to me. I’ll know you’re lying so please just say the truth. What did Louis say?” Tony pushed, leaving Lily with no option.
“Can we get into the car first? I’ll tell you in there.” She sighed in defeat and walked to the car with Tony walking behind her with large strides. As they walked, Lily kept her eyes glued to the restaurant, making sure Louis didn’t catch them walking together.
“Alright! Tell me.” Tony said as soon as they entered the car, leaving Lily with no time to relax or have a change of heart.
“Oh, Tony.” Lily sighed and lowered her head. “The conversation was going smoothly until I decided to leave. He threatened me and said he would never let me leave his grasp because of everything I know.” Lily confessed, leaving out the part about Tony.
“Is that all?” Tony asked with both his brows raised. Louis not wanting Lily to leave him wasn’t new news so, he knew that it wasn’t enough to get her sad and bothered. There had to be more.
“Y-y-yeah.” Lily stuttered and paused to clear her throat. “Yes. That is all.” She lied, lowering her head to avoid eye contact.
Tony didn’t believe her but, he wasn’t going to pressure her into telling him what the other thing was. He was sure that she would tell him when the time was right.
“Something strange happened in there, Tony.” Lily’s head snapped after a few minutes, remembering the incident at the restaurant and her eyes shone with curiosity.
“A waiter was helping me in there. I don’t think I have ever seen him before but for some reason, he was well aware of what I wanted to achieve and even helped me. How is that even possible?” She asked with wide eyes.
“Oh…” Tony replied with a lack of enthusiasm and Lily wondered if he already knew about this but before she could ask, Tony read her mind and answered her question.
“I had a business meeting in the area earlier this morning so, I stopped by and asked one of the waiters to do me a favor when you arrive. I knew it wouldn’t be an easy job for you since Louis would be watching you like a Hulk. I’m glad he was of help.” He replied with a smile that melted Lily’s heart even more.
“He was of great help. I don’t think I would have been able to swap the phones without his help.” Lily confessed and looked into Tony’s eyes. “Thank you, Tony.”
“It’s nothing, Lily. As long as you have something to take care of, I’ll always be there to help out.” Tony said as he ignited the car engine and zoomed off.
Meanwhile, Louis walked out of the restaurant ten minutes later, oblivious to the fact that his phone had been tapped and he was now being watched. He quickly pulled out his phone and dialed Manuel’s number.
“Get the boys ready. In two days, that doctor will be dead.” He revealed with gritted teeth.
“What about Lily?” Manuel asked after a while and Louis scoffed with a sinister look in his eyes.
“Once the bastard is gone, she would have no one else but me to turn to. I need to bring her back before she gets any stupid ideas and tells the doctor about the gang. I cannot let Draco kill me because of that bitch.” Louis scratched his head and entered his car.
“Besides, none of my hoes gives me a good fuck like her. It’s high time she gets back into my bed.”
*
*
Lily and Tony returned to the house around 7 pm and were met with Rachael and her child, Daisy sitting at the dining table.
“Took you guys long enough. It’s almost time for dinner.” Rachael said as soon as they arrived and Daisy ran to Lily, wrapping her tiny arms around her legs.
“I missed you, Aunt Lily. I have been asking mummy about you. Do you work in the same office as my uncle?” Daisy asked curiously, her bright eyes staring at both Lily and Tony who had barely made it out of the front door.
“Hello, Daisy. I missed you too.” Lily chuckled before answering her question. “I don’t work in the same office as Tony but, I am a staff at his hospital. I work as a nurse and I attend to beautiful children like yourself.”
“So you are a pediatrician then?” Daisy asked with wide eyes, surprising Lily.
“I’d say I am shocked by your knowledge of the medical field but, your uncle is a doctor so I think I understand.” Lily laughed, looking in Tony’s direction while he shook his head proudly.
“Well, Daisy. I am not a pediatrician but a nurse in the pediatric unit.” She explained and Daisy nodded slowly. As she opened her mouth to ask another question, Rachael quickly stood up and grabbed her.
“That’s enough questions for now, Daisy. Aunt Lily just got back from a long day at work. Please, let her freshen up and have some rest.” She said as she pulled her away but Daisy turned to Tony, ready to start another conversation.
“Your uncle too, Daisy. You can talk to me until they come down for dinner.” Rachael said and a pout formed on Daisy’s lips.
“Thank you, Rachael.” Tony mouthed before heading upstairs with Lily.
They both went into their respective rooms, freshened up, and got ready for dinner.
After dinner, Rachael took Daisy to her room, leaving Tony and Lily alone at the dining table. Normally, Lily would have left for her room the minute Rachael stepped out but for some reason, she wanted to be around Tony. The last few days, she found herself leaning towards him and getting comfortable with him.
“Aren’t you tired, Lily? You had a long day at work.” He asked after a while and Lily shook her head calmly before checking her phone to see what the time was.
“I’m not tired. I guess meeting Louis and finally standing up to him gave me the energy I needed.” Lily replied and chuckled lightly.
“I can’t believe I did it. If someone had told me a year ago that I’d speak to him the way I did, I would never have believed it but, it happened.” She smiled, her eyes filled with Joy.
Tony kept his gaze on her, watching how her face lit up when she smiled and how her body shook when she laughed. He wondered if she was finally ready to fully move on from Louis. So, he asked.
“Are you finally ready for a new beginning, Lily? One without Louis and the pain from your past?” He asked calmly and Lily’s expression changed. She stared into nothingness, pondering on his words.
She wanted to tell him that she would be glad to start a new relationships but, Louis’s threat from their meeting resounded in her ears and fear gripped her once again.
“I don’t know, Tony. I think it’s too early to talk about a world without Louis. As much as I hate to admit, he is still in my world.”