“Nancy, go back,” Lillian said quietly.
Nancy was both furious and distressed. “I’ll call Mr. Conrad right now! There’s no way he would let these people stay here. I’ve known him since he was a boy.”
Nancy firmly believed Conrad wasn’t the type to get involved with just anyone. Over the years, Lillian was the only one she had ever seen by his side in any meaningful way.
As for Evelyn, Nancy could tell at a glance that she was trouble. There had to be some other reason for this situation.
“No matter what, thank you for looking after me all these years,” Lillian said. “I’ll stay with a friend for now.”
“Miss Lillian! Miss Lillian!” Nancy called after her, stomping her feet in frustration as Lillian walked away.
Nancy immediately pulled out her phone and called Conrad.
As soon as the line connected, she burst out, “Mr. Conrad, if you’re letting someone else stay at Taylor Mansion, you should’ve let us know! Miss Lillian came home to find the place a wreck. Those people trashed everything and even tried to put their hands on her! They even kicked Miss Lillian out.”
Nancy didn’t hold back, painting Evelyn’s family in the worst possible light.
At that moment, Conrad was in the middle of a tense discussion with some old-school members of the Brown family. Hearing Nancy’s report, he excused himself and stepped into the courtyard.
“What’s going on? Explain clearly. Who went to Taylor Mansion? And who had the nerve to drive Lillian out?”
“She said her name is Evelyn. She brought her parents and two younger brothers. She claimed it was under your orders,” Nancy explained.
Conrad’s expression darkened. “I see. I’ll handle it.”
Meanwhile, the bodyguards and driver didn’t feel comfortable staying either. Their duty was to protect Lillian and take her Taylor Mansion.
For a while, Lillian simply sat in the car, saying nothing. The driver aimlessly circled the streets until she suddenly said, “Take me to this address. It’s a female friend’s place. I just need to talk to her briefly.”
“Of course, Miss Lillian.”
The car stopped in front of a small, standalone house. Lillian stepped out, and the bodyguards waited at the entrance.
Inside, Kama was on the phone. “If you were satisfied with the last batch, we can prioritize your next order. That’s how we treat our loyal customers.”
When she saw Lillian, she gestured casually for her to sit down. After jotting some notes in her ledger, Kama ended the call.
Finally, she smiled and said, “What brings you here? It’s been ages! I’ve already shipped your goods for you.”
Back in her freshman year of college, Lillian had been eager to make money. But whenever Conrad needed to see her, she had to drop everything, including her part-time jobs, which made it impossible to hold down steady work. The money she did get from him barely had a chance to warm her hands before she poured it all into her grandmother’s medical bills.
That was when she came up with the idea of selling products. She chose a niche that was relatively unpopular at the time but had a promising market-women’s products. In the beginning, sales were slow. However, Lillian saw the potential in this space and used her refined sense of aesthetics, honed from years of exposure to high-quality items, to design unique products.
After partnering with Kama, the two hit it off and created many designs together. Lillian’s original pieces quickly made her a standout in the industry, earning her a strong reputation.
As their team expanded, Lillian’s brand, Anemone, established a loyal customer base. Today, the website’s self-service order platform boasted impressive daily sales figures.
Since she currently had no place to stay, she asked Kama, the small-business owner of their original factory, to handle shipping for her.
“It’s been ages since I launched anything new,” Lillian remarked, “so I figured I’d stop by and check things out in person.”
“You picked the right time. I just received a new batch of inventory,” Kama said with a grin. “But things aren’t what they were four years ago when we started. Live-stream shopping is everywhere now. Even male models are trying on our stuff during live streams. But if you did it yourself, the sales would skyrocket.”
Kama eyed Lillian’s figure approvingly. “You’ve got a better body than the models I hire. Too bad you won’t show your face. If you went into the entertainment industry, you’d blow everyone away with just your looks.”
Lillian examined the latest designs. “These are pretty good. I like what I’m seeing.”
Kama draped an arm around Lillian’s shoulder. “Of course! I brought in some top-tier designers for these.”
Kama herself was a bit of a legend. Her father’s small factory originally made work uniforms and was barely surviving when she returned from studying abroad. She took over the struggling business and turned it around by switching to sexy clothing. Her father, initially embarrassed by her decision, didn’t promote the factory’s new direction. Yet, Kama’s little workshop defied the odds and brought the factory back to life.
Lillian was the first major e-commerce partner Kama worked with, and together, they leveled up their businesses. Their bond was forged during those challenging early days.
“What top-tier designers? How’d you manage to squeeze them dry?” Lillian teased.
“That’s none of your business. Not all men have terrible taste, you know. Go home, try these on, and tell me how they fit!”
Kama handed Lillian a large bag of new products. “Fresh off the line and not yet released. Your feedback will decide if we go into mass production. Of course, your Anemone will always be the first batch released.”
“Got it,” Lillian said, planning to head to Melissa’s place to get her help with quality control.
Anemone’s success in maintaining its unique charm in a saturated market was due to Lillian’s insistence on strict product standards. They didn’t offer everything, but what they did sell was always exceptional and distinctive.
******
When Conrad’s car pulled up at Taylor Mansion, Evelyn’s parents were busy stuffing items they fancied into woven bags they’d brought along.
“This is nice! Sweetheart, can I take this back for your grandma?” the father asked.
Evelyn frowned in irritation. “Times are different now, Mom, Dad! Can’t you try to have a little class?”
Just as she finished speaking, something felt off.
She turned her head to see Conrad and Ford standing at the doorway, staring at her with icy expressions.
Her heart skipped a beat, and she said timidly, “Conrad.”
Evelyn’s parents froze mid-action. After sizing up Conrad, they grinned approvingly. “Evelyn, is this your boyfriend? Wow, you’ve really done us proud-he’s a great catch!”
Upstairs, the twins were still smacking each other with Conrad’s limited-edition collectibles.
“Big sis, I like this! Can I take it home?”
“Stop it!” Evelyn snapped, panic surging through her. She had assumed Conrad wouldn’t show up today!
Conrad let out a quiet scoff, his gaze sweeping over the mess on the floor and the furious Nancy. Fixing his eyes on Evelyn, he asked coldly, “Who told you to come here?”
Evelyn’s timid gaze darted to Conrad as she slowly approached him. Her father immediately tried to interject, “Evelyn’s boyfriend, we were just-”
“Did I ask you to speak?” Conrad cut him off sharply, his icy tone making Evelyn’s stomach drop. Turning his focus back to her, he continued, “I’ve seen plenty of fools who don’t know their place. What makes you think you’re any different? Who told you to come here?”
Evelyn’s face paled. Conrad had never spoken to her like this before. Her lips trembled as she stammered, “Conrad… I… My parents are here. They wanted to thank you for taking care of me recently. I heard from Assistant Alice that you’re often here, so I thought…”
“So you deliberately showed up uninvited.” Conrad’s gaze shifted to her outfit. “Take it off.”
“What?”
“Do you not understand human language?” he snapped, kicking aside a leather stool that had rolled toward him amid the chaos.
“Is this yours? This is Lillian’s house, Lillian’s clothes, and Lillian’s jewelry. Do you have any idea how much effort I put into picking those things out? What the hell are you, to be touching her things like that?”
He cast a disgusted glance at Evelyn’s parents. “And this trash you call your family-what makes you think they belong here?”