Sure enough, there was a black car parked under the tree across from the inn. The dimly lit street made it easy for her to overlook, but Lillian certainly hadn’t expected this-after nearly two months of silence, Conrad had reappeared in her life.
Lillian pressed her lips together and stayed still. The car window rolled down, and a hand reached out, holding something crimson between two fingers.
She could almost feel it.
The person in the car was staring at her.
After a moment of hesitation, Lillian shut the window and decided to head downstairs.
If he got impatient, she wasn’t sure he wouldn’t come up. She didn’t want to alarm anyone else, and a part of her-against her better judgment-hoped that maybe he had come to return her documents and finally let her go completely.
The cold wind hit her as she stepped out of the inn, making her realize she had rushed out without grabbing a coat.
Conrad was already standing by the car, leaning casually against the hood. His tall, slender frame blended into the night with his black coat.
Every step closer to him was a battle to suppress the urge to turn around and run.
Her guarded and resistant demeanor wasn’t lost on Conrad.
He didn’t move toward her; instead, a faint, mocking scoff escaped his lips.
The moment he landed, he’d driven here alone and waited five hours for her.
And what greeted him? Rejection. Resistance.
Of course. He wasn’t Gordon, so she didn’t bother faking a smile for him.
As if being kind to her for three years hadn’t earned him anything but the look she’d give a thief.
Conrad hated that guarded expression. He hated that look in her eyes.
The angrier he got, the calmer his exterior became.
“What’s the matter? Afraid I’ll rip you apart?”
Lillian glanced up at him, suddenly smiling as if the last two months of silence had never happened-as if there had never been any cold war between them.
“I’m surprised. I can’t believe it’s really you.”
“Lillian, has anyone ever told you you’re not cut out for acting? No wonder you could only get into the directing program.” His words stung, extinguishing the cigarette in his hand as casually as he’d delivered the insult.
Lillian had already been at a loss for how to face him, and now her expression froze in place, caught between embarrassment and indignation.
Conrad shot her a glance. “Haven’t eaten? You look like a ghost. Get in the car.”
The weight she’d painstakingly gained under his care had vanished in the past couple of months. She’d even gotten darker, her skin bearing the wear of outdoor filming. And here she was, braving the freezing cold in nothing but a sweatshirt. What did she think she was-made of steel?
Lillian stood still, not budging.
Conrad opened the car door and turned to look at her. “Did you not hear me?”
She clutched her clothes tighter. “Mr. Conrad, did you come here to return my documents? Thank you for going out of your way. Just hand them to me, and I won’t take up any more of your time.”
Conrad stared at her for a long moment before slamming the car door shut with a loud bang.
Lillian instinctively took a step back.
“Take another step, and see what happens.”
She froze, staring at him as she brushed her hair back nervously. “Did you… come to return my documents?”
It was her second time asking, as if all she needed was a simple yes or no.
Conrad’s lips curled into a cold, faint smile-the kind she dreaded the most. It was the smile of a man who thrived on cornering his opponent until they had no choice but to submit.
“What if I said no?”
“Then… then I’ll just-”
“Lillian,” Conrad interrupted, his voice sharp and measured. “Think carefully before you finish that sentence.”
She clamped her mouth shut and said nothing. In the end, after weighing her options, she stepped closer to him, slipping into his arms, which still carried a faint scent of tobacco. His warmth enveloped her immediately.
The scent of Conrad-both unfamiliar and yet achingly familiar.
Closing her eyes briefly, she spoke softly, “I’m cold. Can I go upstairs first?”
Conrad lowered his gaze to the woman in his arms, who was using every trick in the book to get her way.
Sometimes, he truly wanted to strangle her-just to see what kind of infuriating words she’d manage to spit out then.
He leaned in, as though holding her tightly, but his voice was cold and sharp.
“Did you have fun with Gordon these past few weeks?”
Lillian’s long lashes fluttered as she looked up at him, her eyes shimmering with false innocence. “Don’t accuse me unfairly, Mr. Conrad. Mr. Gordon was here for the base construction. You, on the other hand, as the biggest investor, haven’t been paying attention to the project at all. Do you expect me, a mere employee, to ignore the boss?”
Conrad stared at her, his expression blank, as if her lies didn’t even faze him. “How many times have I told you not to get too close to Gordon? Are you deliberately ignoring me?”
Lillian wanted to retort: What does it matter who I’m close to? Even if I marry your dad tomorrow and become your stepmother, it’s none of your business. I’m not listed as your spouse. Besides, you’re always surrounded by Pandora, Evelyn, Daisy-and who knows who else this time. Has there been a single year without romantic rumors about you?
She and Gordon didn’t even have anything going on. And even if they did, they were both single. Was that a crime?
“Well, what do you expect me to do?” she said with exaggerated helplessness. “I’m the project lead. When Mr. Gordon, the boss, shows up, should I pretend he doesn’t exist? You’re just making things difficult for me.”
Conrad grabbed her chin, his thumb brushing over her skin with a practiced familiarity, and coldly said, “Lying.”
Lillian was about to lose her temper when he interrupted.
“If you’re trying to use Gordon to get rid of me, go ahead and try. Get in the car.”
He didn’t want to spend another second in this godforsaken place. The longer his car was parked here, the more flyers it collected.
Lillian remained rooted in place.
“Do I really have to say everything three times today?”
“I can’t leave.”
“Didn’t you just say you couldn’t ignore the investor?”
Wasn’t this just nonsense? Lillian spoke quietly, “This place is close to the construction site. The best hotels are downtown, which is an hour and a half round trip. It’ll delay work tomorrow. Plus, if there’s no one to supervise, those workers will slack off, and the progress will be delayed. If the work isn’t done well, it’ll have to be redone.”
Conrad took a deep breath, grabbed her wrist, and began walking toward the inn.
Lillian hadn’t expected him to follow her upstairs.
The receptionist, who had been snacking on sunflower seeds, nearly choked.
Half a month ago, a handsome man had checked in, leaving her smitten. She’d gone out of her way to deliver fresh flowers and fruit to Gordon’s room, spending her own money for the best treatment the inn could offer. But who knew he’d leave without a word?
Now, in the middle of the night, someone even more attractive had shown up!
The receptionist froze, a sunflower seed caught in her throat, as she watched Conrad stride in and haul a reluctant Lillian behind him.
“Excuse me, you need to register!” she called out, snapping back to reality.
“Conrad Brown.” Conrad left behind just two words before dragging Lillian toward the stairs.
Conrad Brown? That name sounded so familiar.
And then it hit her-that was the guy who was always trending on social media!
But wait-even Conrad needs to register…
Still, she didn’t dare stop him and could only pray nothing dramatic would unfold.