By the time Lillian and Gordon finally came out, Conrad’s face was expressionless as he said, “You two finally decided to leave? I thought you were planning to hatch eggs in there.”
“Stop talking, hurry up and go. My Brown Family Group pays you, not to have a romance,” Conrad said, tossing the words over his shoulder before opening the car door and getting in.
Lillian wanted to help Gordon into the car but was afraid Conrad might lose it. She had no choice but to say to Gordon, “I’ll leave first.”
Gordon naturally didn’t make things difficult for her.
After watching Conrad’s car leave with Daisy, Daisy took a deep breath and said, “Mr. Gordon, please come to my charity dinner.”
“Sure,” Gordon replied. After all, all his work had been paused for his recovery.
His car was out of commission, and he was stuck helping out at home and the company. It was terribly boring. If he could enjoy some excitement with Daisy, why not take part? It would be a good distraction.
After Gordon left, Daisy kept her smile until the very last second.
Irene, however, seemed uneasy and said, “Miss, should we get in the car or pick up the dresses from the shop?”
Daisy never lost her temper in public. In a low voice, she said, “Call Martin and ask him where he is.”
“Yes, Miss.”
******
Once in the car, Conrad acted as if Lillian wasn’t even there.
Lillian had expected him to be angry, but she hadn’t anticipated that even when they returned to the office, he wouldn’t spare her a single glance.
She didn’t dare enter the office; she feared he’d just insult her.
She wasn’t about to be that fool, trying to pick a fight with someone as volatile as Conrad.
She kept wondering when she’d be able to smooth things over, but now didn’t feel like the right time.
Sure enough, the marketing department manager, brimming with confidence, went in to see Conrad, only to come out dejected and looking like he’d aged ten years.
The people in the CEO’s office grew even more nervous.
After what felt like an eternity, Lillian, with some hesitation, decided to bring Conrad a small snack. But when she went to find him, he was already leaving with Ford, his face as dark as thunder.
As soon as their boss left, the entire office seemed to come back to life.
“My God, he’s finally gone! I was afraid for my life back there!”
“Look at you, so dramatic.”
“What, you dare go in there…”
“Do you think I’m Assistant Ford?”
Lillian listened to the back-and-forth and realized that Conrad was likely furious. She quickly grabbed her bag and punched out for the day. Her plans to visit her grandmother were put on hold. Instead, she rushed to the supermarket to pick up some ingredients, then hurried back to Hillside Villa.
Lillian often cooked, but she always had a plan. She only cooked for Conrad. Or when she wanted something from him.
When it came to winning a man’s affection, she had studied the art carefully. She knew just how to act cute and what boundaries to push.
The staff at Hillside Villa had long since gotten used to her kitchen escapades.
Lillian prepared four dishes and a soup, all of Conrad’s favorites.
Conrad was picky about food. However, as soon as she saw what Daisy had cooked, she knew Conrad wouldn’t like it. In fact, he barely ate any of it.
She hoped that when he came back later, he’d be satisfied with her cooking, even if all he did was complain.
After a bath and a body treatment session, Lillian changed into a sexy nightgown, applied a bit of light makeup, and sat at the dining table, waiting and waiting.
She waited until it was dark.
The housekeeper took some candles from the storeroom and lit them. The food had gone cold.
But Conrad still didn’t come back.
“Miss Lillian, how about calling Mr. Conrad?”
“Okay.”
The phone rang on the other end as if it had entered a long stretch of time, until it automatically hung up.
“I heard it’s going to rain later tonight.” Lillian looked out the window. “Ada doesn’t like thunderstorms. Let it come up and keep me company tonight.”
“Yes, Miss Lillian.”
Lillian gazed at the full table of food, then went to the wine cabinet to pick out a bottle of Conrad’s favorite wine and poured it into a glass.
Each sip felt like hundreds of thousands of dollars, and she couldn’t help but think that she wasn’t drinking wine, but cash.
Ada lazily jumped onto the sofa and yawned. Lillian smiled at it, raised her glass, and said, “Cheers.”
Ada placed her large paw on the remote control. The TV automatically turned on.
The large screen displayed today’s gossip report.
There was Conrad’s blurry figure, followed by Daisy leaving the Brown Family Group building.
Whether it was a hidden camera shot or a deliberate setup for the paparazzi, it didn’t matter. The screen showed a perfect couple – the president of the Brown Family Group and the young lady from the White family, a powerful pairing.
The day before, the ambiguous relationship between Pandora and Conrad had dominated the front page, catching everyone’s attention. Today, Daisy was close behind.
This wasn’t unusual. Over the past three years, there had been many women fighting for Conrad’s attention, with netizens eagerly debating who would be the real “main” woman in Conrad’s life. The comments had piled up by the hundreds of thousands.
Once the Brown Family Group’s team picked up the topic, it only gave birth to new ones.
Today wouldn’t be the last time. As long as she stayed by Conrad’s side, there would always be a next time, and the next one after that.
Lillian slowly drank the wine and ate the food bit by bit.
“It’s cold now, not that good anymore, a bit bitter and fishy.”
“But my cooking is still great; he’s the one who doesn’t have the fortune to enjoy it.”
She couldn’t finish the food, so she threw everything into the trash.
After washing up, she went to bed. Ada silently followed her like a dark shadow in the night.
Lillian was afraid of the dark, especially when the space around her felt too large. Every sound seemed amplified, and the emptiness and loneliness inside her, along with the ever-present discomfort that never seemed to settle, felt like a massive vortex consuming her.
She leaned back against the pillow, the soft bedding enveloping her, as though lifting her up into a cloud.
A flash of lightning illuminated the room, and since she was already unable to sleep, she just stared outside at the surging waves, watching the shadows of the trees sway wildly in the storm. She slowly lay down.
Ada walked slowly over to her side and nestled its head into Lillian’s embrace.
Lillian hugged her tightly. “It’s a shame, Conrad, that tyrant, won’t let you sleep on the bed. He said if he saw even one hair from you, he’d skin you and make a carpet.”
“Ada, you and I are both so pitiful.”
Just as Lillian spoke, the door suddenly slammed open. She screamed in fright, and Ada immediately turned and lunged toward the intruder.
But then Ada stopped.
Another thunderclap lit up the room, revealing everything.