Ford waited for a while, ensuring the two had finally calmed down. Once he was certain, he let out a quiet sigh of relief and instructed the driver to head to City N as quickly as possible.
Unknowingly, Lillian had fallen asleep during the ride.
Conrad, however, wasn’t like her. He kept his eyes open, staring at the sleeping woman without blinking once.
When the car pulled up to the Taylor Mansion, Conrad opened the door and got out, slamming it shut with a loud bang.
The noise startled Lillian awake. She blinked, looking outside at the unfamiliar building.
She had thought he would take her back to Hillside Villa.
Bracing herself, Lillian pushed open the door and stepped out.
“Mr. Conrad, shouldn’t you take care of your hand first-”
“It’s not life-threatening.” With that, Conrad headed straight upstairs without waiting for her, clearly still upset.
Ford turned and pressed his lips together, glancing at Lillian.
She looked around, noticing that the number of bodyguards seemed to have increased significantly.
Something about the place felt different now, though she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.
“Miss Lillian,” Ford began, “Taylor Mansion’s security has been reinforced. The entire area has been staffed with our own people, and the bodyguards are now living next door. What happened last time won’t happen again.”
Lillian hadn’t noticed any neighbors around here before, but now she realized these houses also belonged to Conrad.
She nodded and was about to head inside when Ford stepped in front of her, blocking her path.
“There’s something I want to say, though as just an employee, it’s not really my place to tell you. Still, I’ve watched you stay by Mr. Conrad’s side for so many years, and I feel like I have to speak my mind.”
Ford rarely spoke to her directly, but he had always treated her with respect.
He never looked down on her because of her position beside Conrad, nor did he try to trip her up behind the scenes. In fact, he’d helped her more than once.
Lillian had always been grateful to Ford.
She looked up at him and said, “Assistant Ford, please go ahead.”
“Miss Lillian, if you are upset because of Mr. Conrad’s connection with Pandora, I don’t think there’s any need for that. Pandora is merely a pawn of the Brown Family Group. Mr. Conrad gives her face only because she represents them. If Pandora were to have any scandal or misstep, the Brown Family Group would simply replace her with someone more suitable. It’s that straightforward.”
“Miss Lillian, you should know that Mr. Conrad’s time is limited. I don’t want him wasting it bickering with you. The operation of an entire corporation isn’t something that can be solved with a single sentence. If there’s nothing urgent, please don’t add to his burdens.”
Ford paused before continuing, his tone firm yet measured.
“Miss Lillian, you might think I’m overstepping, but Mr. Conrad has already spent far too much time on you. There was an important board meeting today, which Mr. Conrad repeatedly delayed because of you.”
“Miss Lillian, you and Mr. Conrad aren’t in a romantic relationship. From the beginning, your arrangement has been transactional-you wanted money, and he wanted companionship. So don’t expect things you were never meant to hope for.”
“From every perspective, I believe Mr. Conrad has done everything you could ask for. He cleared your debts, ensured your financial stability, and even provided the so-called exclusivity you desired. At least from what I’ve seen while working with him, Mr. Conrad has never treated another woman the way he treats you. So, Miss Lillian, while my words might be harsh, they are the truth.”
Lillian knew he was telling the truth.
She gave a faint smile and said, “Since you’re so clear-headed, Assistant Ford, you must also see my desire to leave. If I leave, wouldn’t Mr. Conrad be able to focus better on managing his company and even his family?”
“Instead of persuading me to stay, why not try convincing him to let me go? When I agreed to be with him, I made it clear-I don’t get involved with any married man, and I don’t stick around if he’s already in a relationship.”
Ford adjusted his glasses, remaining silent.
Of course, he had tried to persuade Conrad, but who would dare speak out against Conrad’s decisions? It was obvious that Conrad had no intention of letting her go.
“And if Mr. Conrad refuses to let you go?”
“Then it’ll be a fight to the bitter end.”
Ford stood by the door for a long time, replaying Lillian’s indifferent smile before she stepped inside.
A fight to the bitter end, huh…
For some reason, an unsettling feeling crept into Ford’s chest.
He didn’t want to believe Lillian had the means to challenge Conrad, but at the same time, he couldn’t help worrying-what if she really did?
Lillian didn’t seek out Conrad after going upstairs. Instead, she headed to the study after some hesitation.
Everything there had been restored to its original state. It was as if Evelyn and her family’s visit had been nothing more than a dream-a figment of her imagination.
She set her bag aside, picked up a textbook, and started reading.
Meanwhile, Conrad had been waiting in his room for most of the evening. He was so close to dozing off when he finally lost patience and got up to find her.
He eventually found her in the study.
She had fallen asleep quietly at the desk, her hand resting on an open textbook.
Her cheeks were flushed a faint pink, and her lips were slightly pursed in sleep.
Conrad felt a sudden softness in his chest. Leaning down, he reached out and gently poked her cheek.
Lillian turned her head, pouting in her sleep.
Amused, Conrad felt like teasing her some more and reached out to pick her up.
But as soon as he touched her, she stirred and woke up.
Ignoring her protests, Conrad scooped her up and carried her to the nearby tatami mat before kissing her.
Lillian turned her face away.
“Are you still mad?” Conrad’s voice softened instinctively. “You already bit me, and you’re still not over it?”
Lillian looked down, thinking that this man would do anything to satisfy his baser urges-even humble himself like this.
“I don’t want to have sex,” she murmured.
Conrad frowned, about to get angry, but Lillian spoke again in a soft voice.
“Tomorrow is my father’s death anniversary. Can we not… please?”
She didn’t need to remind him-he had completely forgotten about it.
Alvin had a terrible reputation. His rise to power years ago involved plenty of shady dealings, and he had made more enemies than friends.
But he had been a doting father. Ever since Lillian was born, he had treated her like a treasure.
No matter what the world said about Alvin, to Lillian, he had been a good father.
Of course, Conrad couldn’t care less about Alvin’s death anniversary-or his birthday, for that matter.
To him, family ties meant nothing. Lillian was Lillian, and Alvin was Alvin.
Conrad got off her. “I’ll have Andrew take you there tomorrow.”
Every year, Lillian visited Alvin’s grave. After his death, the company’s assets had been frozen, and it was Frank who paid for a plot in a public cemetery for him. It wasn’t a great place, but at least Alvin had a proper burial.
The cemetery was on the outskirts, up on a hill. Lillian always had to take a long bus ride, followed by a steep climb, to get there.
“Thank you.”
She rarely thanked him for anything, no matter how much he helped her. And yet, she managed to say it now.
Conrad often found her impossible to understand.
“If you’re tired, go take a shower and get some sleep,” he said.
“Where’s my suitcase?”
She hadn’t taken her birth control pills yet, and if she didn’t take them soon… it would be too risky.
“I had someone put it in the dressing room.”
“Then I’ll go shower.” She got up, hesitating briefly before taking his injured hand and pressing a light kiss to the wound.
Then she quickly left the room, almost as if she were fleeing.