Lillian stared at the things she had longed for but could never have, now finally back by her side.
But she had never imagined it would return to her in this way.
She instinctively felt something was off, but she just continued to take out the items one by one.
“The Taylor Mansion, along with the ten properties he gave you over the years, plus the jewelry, limited-edition clothes, and bags he bought for you-all of it’s yours now. The property deeds and contracts are in your hands. Also, he asked me to tell you that everything is high-quality. You don’t need to sell them to a second-hand store. If he buys them back, he’ll have to spend more money. After this, no one will be willing to buy them for you. So, take care of these things, and they should be enough for you.” George’s tone was indifferent and cold.
Lillian had never thought she would dislike hearing his voice so much.
“You’re free now.”
Her heart sank heavily and then seemed to float back up, falling softly into the dust.
Her nose inexplicably tingled with emotion.
“Oh.” She remained stiff for a long time, only able to utter this short sound.
“Congratulations, you got what you wanted.”
Lillian lifted her gaze and looked away. After collecting herself, she pretended to be unaffected and began organizing the items.
“Mr. Conrad is indeed very generous-more than I imagined.”
Ten properties, each one a top-tier luxury, enough for her and her grandmother to live comfortably for a lifetime.
And those jewels… she’d probably never use them. They’d probably just sit in the safe in one of those houses for the rest of her life.
She could always tell her family in the future, “Look, I had quite a turbulent youth. More eventful than the soap operas on TV.”
George nodded. “Indeed. Since you’re fine now, I’ll get back to work.”
“What about him?” Lillian asked, finally voicing her question as he reached the door.
“Since you’re free now, Conrad’s whereabouts are no longer your concern.”
“I see… Please thank Mr. Conrad for me.” Lillian turned her head, forced a smile, and said to George, “He’s so generous. I almost feel like I should invite him to dinner to thank him properly. But I won’t disturb Mr. Conrad any further.”
The door clicked shut, and as George left, the room felt even emptier.
Lillian lay back, staring blankly at the ceiling.
Free.
It felt good.
But then why couldn’t she stop the tears from flowing? Why couldn’t she control them?
Her heart hurt so badly.
It hurt more than every time she had made the decision to leave before.
Tears blurred her vision. She wiped them away again and again, until the contract in her hand was soaked. She curled up on the bed, crying silently.
The black wolf ring on her chest, gleaming with a dark light, fell still…
Just like that man-who had barged into her life without warning and then left, completely and thoroughly.
George walked back to the consultation room and returned a phone call.
“She’s fine. It’s not a relapse. I gave her everything you asked for. She’s happy to hear she’s free, the girl’s quite pleased.”
There was no sound on the other end of the line.
But George knew he was listening.
“Since you’re going with your grandfather to heal, let’s focus on treating your injuries for now.”
A “click” sounded as the phone call ended.
The man, wrapped in bandages, sat bare-chested on the edge of the bed.
The cold, lonely moonlight from a distant window fell through the frame, casting long shadows on him.
He looked like a solitary king, accompanied only by the particles in the air around him.
******
George couldn’t help but admire Lillian.
The next day, when he saw her, she seemed like a completely different person, as though she had come back to life.
She started putting in the effort to recover her health. The hospital’s nutritious meals were no longer something she ate quietly and in silence. Occasionally, she would go to the nurse’s station to chat with the nurses.
Sometimes, she would be in Gordon’s room, playing mahjong with Hogan and the others. Whenever she lost, she’d make excuses, claiming she couldn’t afford to pay.
One time, Hogan accidentally let it slip and complained, saying she was a little rich lady but still couldn’t cough up 500 bucks.
The atmosphere immediately froze. Lillian stiffened for a moment, then continued glaring with wide eyes, as if nothing was wrong, and said, “Oh my god, 500 bucks? If you sold me, I still couldn’t afford a game this big.”
On the day she was cleared for release, Melissa finally found out that Lillian had been in the hospital. Naturally, she stormed in and had a huge argument with George, then stayed to help Lillian pack.
“Stop arguing with your husband.”
“What husband? He’s my soon-to-be ex-husband.”
“Fine, don’t argue with your soon-to-be ex-husband, come on and help me take a shower. I feel like I’m starting to smell.”
Thankfully, Hogan, Gordon, and the others didn’t mind her and were still willing to play mahjong with her.
Melissa had probably found out from George that Conrad had completely broken up with her, but she hadn’t asked a single question from beginning to end.
“After your shower, why don’t you come stay at my place?”
Lillian thought for a moment and replied, “I’d rather not. Even though my crew’s project is on hold, I still have a lot of storyboard work to do. Now, I can focus on preparing for my graduation exhibition. Once I graduate, I’ll be able to send out resumes.”
She had sorted things out with Conrad.
Now, she could wait for graduation in City N in peace.
Once her grandmother woke up, she’d figure out what to do next.
As for the properties, she’d have to figure something out for them too.
“So, where are you going?”
“You forgot? I’m a little rich lady now. I’ll go back and tidy up, get a room ready for Grandma. You can come visit later. But I still need to save some money for the property management fees.”
“Go to hell.” Melissa couldn’t help but splash her with foam.
“Back to Taylor Mansion, then?”
“Of course. Mr. Conrad is so generous. This is basically three years’ worth of salary for me. Plus, it’s safe there. What am I pretending to be high and mighty for? At least living there, my uncle’s people won’t be able to find me.”
After packing everything, Gordon personally came to see her off from the hospital.
“Take good care of yourself, and don’t hesitate to call us if you need anything,” Gordon said.
“I will, and you take care of your leg too.”
“Go on.”
Melissa carefully helped her into the car, glared at George, who had followed them out, then slammed her foot on the gas.
“Actually, if Gordon weren’t so much of a flirt, he’d be a pretty good catch,” Melissa said.
“Huh? Stop playing matchmaker. I’ve long been in a different world from them. Whether he’s a good catch or not, what does it have to do with me?” Lillian thought that she wasn’t going to be involved with anyone connected to Conrad anymore.
“True, with our conditions, having a man is a piece of cake. There’s no need for us to keep spinning in this circle! If your health wasn’t still a concern, I’d definitely take you out for a drink to celebrate.”
Lillian smiled mischievously, “We should celebrate. These past three years, I’ve never been as relaxed as I am today.”
It was as if she had finally stepped into the sunlight. Though the warmth was still not enough, she had finally gone from being a secret mistress to a proud, free woman.
When she got back to Taylor Mansion, Lillian thought the bodyguards Conrad had arranged for her would have left, and the house would need some cleaning before she could settle in.
To her surprise, they were still there, and when they saw her, they nodded.
Nancy hurried out to greet her, bringing out a pair of warm, pink slippers. “Miss Lillian, you’re back! I was just about to have someone come get you.”
Lillian was taken aback. Nancy explained, “Mr. Conrad said I had been taking care of you for years, so I should stay with you. My salary is still paid by the Brown Family Group. Don’t worry, Miss Lillian, I volunteered to stay.”