When Lillian opened her eyes, it felt as if she had been run over by a truck. Every time she moved, her whole body ached with stiffness.
“Are you awake?” A man’s voice sounded beside her ear.
“Conrad… I’m thirsty…”
A pair of hands gently lifted her back, bringing a glass of water to her lips.
Lillian took small sips, and only when she was almost finished did he take the glass away.
“I’ll call the doctor to check on you. Don’t move around too much.”
Lillian blinked in confusion when she saw it was Gordon. She froze for a moment, thinking she was still dreaming. No wonder the voice sounded strange earlier.
“It’s me.” Gordon saw the disappointment flash in her eyes. He raised his hand to press the call button and gently laid her back down.
“You’ve been unconscious for three or four days. Two of your ribs are broken, and you can’t move for now. You’ve also got a lot of other injuries.”
“Then… what about Conrad?” Lillian asked as she settled back, looking at him.
Gordon raised an eyebrow. “You look disappointed to see me. All you care about is asking about him.”
“Stop joking with me. Where is he?” If she had broken ribs, he must have been in worse condition.
“He has burns on his back, a broken leg, and old injuries flared up. After he came out of the operating room, we haven’t gotten any news. George sealed the information, and the hospital is like a fortress right now. But he has a strong physique. You’ve got to trust him.”
Lillian grew anxious. “Can you take me to see him?”
Gordon shook his head. “Sorry, he’s in a sterile room. We can’t go in.”
Lillian looked at his leg, which seemed to have been re-cast, and noticed the stubble growing on his face. “You’re injured too? Why did you come with him?”
“You went missing on set. I happened to be at the hotel, and when I got the news that Conrad was looking for you, I came right away. I’m fine. I got a minor injury in the car crash, just need to rest for a while.”
George soon came in with a doctor. “Gordon, you need to go back to your ward. I need to give her a full-body check-up.”
Gordon said, “I’ll stay here. There’s no point in going back anyway.”
“At least your leg will heal faster if you go. What can you do for her here?”
George personally escorted Gordon out of the room, then turned back to Lillian, who was eager to ask questions.
“Don’t say anything. Don’t ask anything. I have no comment. What’s important now is your health check-up.”
No one told Lillian about Conrad’s condition. She didn’t expect that no one would share any updates with her in the days to come. Because of the information blackout, Melissa didn’t know anything about her situation. She continued to send pictures and videos of her grandmother.
[You usually visit Grandma every few days, but the nurse told me you haven’t come in several days. Are yo so busy at the set?]
[George has been acting suspicious lately. I told him I wanted a divorce, but he refused and even threatened my parents. Keep an eye on him for me-I’m getting a divorce, whether he likes it or not.]
Lillian’s daily routine was to take various anti-inflammatory medications and then lie in bed, feeling groggy.
Occasionally, when the door to her room opened, she subconsciously hoped the domineering, strong man would suddenly appear.
Sometimes, she couldn’t believe that someone as tough as Conrad couldn’t get out of bed.
“Miss Lillian, let me take you out to get some sunlight.”
Lillian hadn’t had much activity for quite a while.
Aside from Gordon and Hogan, who would occasionally visit her, they were soon kicked out by the nurse. Most of the time, she was left to stare at her phone, drifting in and out of sleep.
The crew had heard that production was suspended because of this incident. Without Conrad’s orders, it seemed that the project would never continue.
But no one really understood what his situation was.
The nurse pushed Lillian to the rooftop lawn to rest.
This area was reserved for high-level VIC patients, ensuring complete quiet.
When Lillian arrived, she immediately noticed a middle-aged man sitting under a tree. His presence was imposing. She only glanced at him briefly before looking away, feeling that he looked somewhat familiar.
However, the nurse pushed her directly toward the man.
“Hey, I…”
The nurse had already stood far away.
“Are you Lillian?”
Lillian froze for a moment, then realized that the man was here for her. She straightened her posture. “Yes, I am. May I ask who you are?”
“I’m Conrad’s father, Kenneth Brown. You should have met me before,” the man said casually.
Lillian suddenly remembered. When she was eight years old, the head of the Brown family had come to her birthday party, and he had even casually given her a valuable piece of jewelry. But the reason he seemed familiar wasn’t just that. His aura was strikingly similar to Conrad’s.
Kenneth poured two cups of coffee. “How’s your health?”
Lillian noticed his casual attitude and responded, “I’m doing okay.”
“Hmm. I’m sorry about your father. But I admire Alvin. Unfortunately, there hasn’t been any opportunity for us to cooperate. I wonder if you’d be willing to seize this chance.”
Lillian was confused. “Me? Mr. Kenneth, are you joking? Given my current status, what could you possibly need my help with?”
Kenneth said, “If you help me acquire the key projects Conrad has been running behind the scenes at Brown Family Group, along with the partners he’s worked with and the financial records, I can give you anything you want.”
“Anything,” he repeated. “Your ID card, household registration, passport-everything. Even, if you do well, I can help you get Conrad and make you his woman.”
Kenneth spoke slowly, but the offer he made was undeniably tempting.
Lillian stared at him, noticing the overwhelming desire in his eyes, a desire that clearly indicated he would stop at nothing to get what he wanted.
It didn’t look like the attitude of a father toward his son at all.
Suddenly, Lillian felt like this was a deal with the devil.
“Those things don’t seem like enough to convince me.”
“What do you want, then? Anything your father had before is also an option.”
“What if I want more?”
Kenneth smiled. “I like ambitious people. A woman with ambition is the kind of woman who deserves to be noticed by someone from my Brown family. Name your price. As long as you can do what I’ve asked, I’ll pay whatever it takes.”
“Would that include buying your son’s life?”
Kenneth froze for a moment, his hand halting as he sipped his coffee. “From what I know, you want to leave him. What’s this? Playing hard to get? Trying to use leaving him as a way to enter the Brown Family Group and become the future CEO’s wife? That’s impossible. The Brown Family Group is named Brown, but there’s more than one person with the last name Brown.”
“My family wouldn’t let you in. Without my support, it’s just a dream. Are you really in love with that guy? Don’t forget, he forced you to be his mistress, and you always end up in dangerous situations when you’re with him. It’s not worth it.” Kenneth added.
Lillian nodded. “Mr. Kenneth, I’ve heard my father say that you are an expert negotiator, a hunter who is highly respected in City N. I’m no match for you in that regard. But I do know one thing-I have the right to refuse.”