Lillian watched as Conrad’s face softened into a doting smile, his voice warm and coaxing as he spoke to whoever was on the other end of the line. Judging by the high-pitched tone, it had to be some spoiled girl-who exactly, she didn’t know.
The tenderness and passion from last night now felt like a slap to her face.
Lillian knew she should get up, pretend as if nothing had happened, and keep playing the fool. But she felt exhausted. When would this kind of life come to an end?
It seemed like the women around Conrad only multiplied, and no matter how much she tried to convince herself otherwise, she wasn’t as indifferent or magnanimous as she wanted to be.
She’d never been able to tolerate even the smallest intrusion. As a child, when Fanny had touched her favorite doll during a visit, it had irked her so much she never played with it again.
And now, sharing a man? The thought made her stomach churn. She was already forcing herself to smile at Conrad despite the disgust simmering beneath the surface.
While Conrad was still on the phone, he saw Lillian rise from the bed. She didn’t say a word as she grabbed the clothes he’d discarded by the bedside and used them to wipe herself clean.
She didn’t seem to care that he was watching her, either. Tossing the clothes aside, she strode into the bathroom, every step heavy with unspoken defiance, like a dagger pressing against his chest.
Suddenly, the phone call lost its charm.
“Are you listening?” the girl on the other end pouted, clearly annoyed at his distraction.
“I’m listening. What do you want?”
“I want you to come back and tell me a story. It’s been so long since I’ve seen you!”
“Alright, I’ll come back when I can.”
In the bathroom, hot water cascaded over Lillian as she stood under the shower, her face blank.
The door opened abruptly, and Conrad slipped in, wrapping his arms around her from behind. “Why are you up so early? You could’ve slept in a bit longer.”
“I’m scouting the area. I need to report back sooner rather than later,” Lillian replied smoothly. “As for where to build, that’s not my call to make. It’s best not to delay.”
Her response was flawless, leaving no room for further questioning.
It struck Conrad how different she was now. In the past, whenever he got calls from other women, Lillian would deliberately seduce him-making a panting sound, dropping hints to let the other woman know she was there.
Her provocations, bold flirtations, and unbridled desires had once burned in her eyes.
But now? Now she was quiet and obedient, acting as though none of it mattered. And somehow, that made him upset.
Gripping her chin, he tilted her face back toward him, kissing her gently. “Upset?”
Snapping out of her thoughts, Lillian let him kiss her and feigned indifference. “I just couldn’t sleep.”
“Because of the new environment?”
“Yes,” she murmured, focusing on washing herself.
Seeing her lather up her hair, Conrad reached for the shampoo to help.
“Make it foamy first,” she muttered, irritated.
Conrad raised a brow. Since when did men worry about things like foam while showering? Still, after last night’s indulgence, indulging her small demands didn’t seem like much.
“Be gentle! Do you even know how to wash someone’s hair?” she complained softly.
Conrad felt like he’d used up all his patience for a lifetime on this woman. When had he ever done something like this for anyone else?
One moment she wanted thick, fluffy bubbles worked up from the ends; the next, she was telling him to avoid the roots. Then she complained about soap getting in her eyes.
“Lillian, are you deliberately giving me a hard time?”
Lillian sighed weakly. “Mr. Conrad, I wouldn’t dare.”
It was just washing her hair, and yet he was already full of complaints.
And to think he’d been so careful with other women, afraid even a raised voice might scare them off.
From Conrad’s angle, he could see how Lillian pouted whenever she wasn’t satisfied, her cheeks puffing up unconsciously.
He silently sighed and continued gently lathering her hair.
“Lillian, you have a pretty perfect skull,” he remarked casually.
“Mr. Conrad, is this your new way of giving compliments?” she asked, incredulous.
Who compliments someone on their skull?
“You don’t understand,” he said with mock seriousness. “Bone structure is innate. You can’t tweak it with injections or minor adjustments. A perfect skull is God’s finest masterpiece.”
His hand slowly traced the contours of her scalp, sending a chill down Lillian’s spine. It felt as if he was sizing her up to detach her head.
“Are you scared?” he teased, his voice low and playful. “Afraid I’ll turn you into a skull lamp? Put it on my nightstand as a nightlight?”
“Stop it. That’s creepy,” Lillian shot back, turning to glare at him.
Conrad, however, seemed thoroughly amused by her reaction. Chuckling, he pulled her into his arms. After gently washing her hair, he murmured softly, “Later, I’ll go with you to the base. Then, you’ll come back to City N with me, alright?”
Lillian was about to protest, mentioning that her work wasn’t finished yet.
“It’s been two months, Lillian,” Conrad interrupted, his tone suddenly serious. “What did you promise me before joining the crew? That you’d come back home. Or are you planning to leave me alone indefinitely?”
She faltered under his sharp gaze. “Then… when can I come back here?”
Her work wasn’t finished, and she didn’t feel comfortable letting anyone else take over.
“Whenever I feel like it.”
Lillian muttered under her breath, “There’s only a month left before we have to start shooting while finalizing everything.”
“Relax,” Conrad reassured her. “No one’s going to take your project away. Your name will be on it-front and center, alright?”
Finally finishing her hair, Conrad stepped back, and Lillian felt utterly drained. His decisions were final, as always. All she could do was wait for his orders.
After drying her hair, she didn’t even need to ask. Ford personally delivered an entire outfit, down to neatly folded undergarments.
She glanced at the bag and couldn’t help but comment, “So Assistant Ford is doubling as a personal assistant now?”
Conrad stepped in front of her, placing his hands on her waist and gesturing for her to tie his tie.
“Alice’s only purpose was to look after you,” he said bluntly. “If she can’t even handle that, there’s no need for her to stay on as a personal assistant.”
As Lillian fumbled with his tie, she thought back to the first time she’d done this for him. It had been years ago, and she’d been so nervous she nearly turned it into a bowtie. He’d teased her endlessly back then, taking three or four days to teach her properly.
To be honest, Lillian didn’t like tying his ties. To her, it felt far too intimate, more so than any other act.
It blurred the lines of her role, giving her the fleeting illusion that she could keep doing this for the rest of her life. But reality always came crashing down-her status ensured she could never stand beside him in the light.
Conrad’s next words snapped her out of her thoughts.
“What do you mean that Alice’s only purpose was to look after me?”