“Are you hungry?” Conrad asked.
Lillian still felt uneasy around him.
She couldn’t help but admire his shamelessness – after everything he’d said yesterday, here he was bright and early the next morning.
And right in front of Ethan, no less. As if he was determined to make his intentions crystal clear to everyone.
“Are you leaving after breakfast?” she asked.
“Nope,” Conrad replied flatly. “So whether you eat or not, I’m not going anywhere. Might as well take care of yourself – skipping breakfast isn’t exactly a good idea.”
Without waiting for a response, he opened the food container. “Try this. It’s all stuff you like. I’m guessing it’s been hard to find authentic flavors while you were overseas.”
“Daddy got up really early, and I helped too!” Jasmine chimed in proudly. “See this little roll? I made it! Mommy has to eat this one!”
Ethan stood off to the side, watching quietly.
Conrad, still unpacking the food, glanced back at him. “Mr. Ethan, would you mind grabbing the utensils? Much appreciated.”
Their eyes met for a brief moment.
“Sure,” Ethan replied.
Conrad’s lips curled into a slight smile before he turned back to Lillian, his expression shifting once again.
“Nancy noticed you’ve lost some weight recently, so she made you some special soup. She says it’s great for boosting your energy and blood circulation – especially since you didn’t recover properly after giving birth. She’s planning to send soup over every day now. It’s her way of showing she cares, so don’t turn her down.”
Once Ethan was out of earshot, Lillian lowered her voice. “What exactly are you trying to do? Are you seriously planning to bring soup over every morning? Why don’t you just move in while you’re at it?”
Conrad raised an eyebrow. “Not a bad idea… but this place is a bit small. Maybe I should just buy the place next door instead?”
Lillian clenched her teeth, about to call him insane – but then she saw her daughter’s innocent, wide eyes watching them closely. She swallowed her words and muttered instead, “Save your money.”
Conrad thought to himself, It’s not like I have much money to save anyway. What’s the point?
Just then, Quincy stumbled out of his room, clutching his stuffed dinosaur with his hair sticking up in every direction.
He rubbed his eyes blearily – then stopped when he saw Jasmine perched on a dining chair, with her dad sitting right behind her.
“… I must still be dreaming.” He turned to head back to bed.
“Quincy! You’re awake!” Jasmine called out. “You’re trying to sneak off and sleep some more?!”
Quincy froze, then turned back, still rubbing his eyes.
Ethan reappeared just in time. “If you’re awake, go wash up first. Mr. Conrad brought breakfast. Come eat with us.”
“Okay.”
By the time Quincy returned, Conrad was quicker than Ethan – swooping in to lift Quincy into his chair before Ethan could react.
Quincy glanced up at him, looking a little awkward. “Uh… thanks, Mr. Conrad.”
“You’re welcome.” Conrad ruffled the boy’s hair. “Pick whatever you like.”
“Mommy, try this one! It’s the best!” Jasmine urged excitedly.
Lillian shot Conrad a look. Her expression remained calm, but there was no denying the hint of expectation in her eyes.
She picked up her fork, took a bite, and…
She wanted to say it wasn’t good – but she couldn’t.
The crispy outer layer gave way to a warm, fragrant filling, full of seasonal ingredients that left a light sweetness on her tongue. It wasn’t quite the same as Nancy’s cooking, but it was undeniably delicious.
“So?” Conrad asked, looking expectantly at her. “How’s the taste?”
Before Lillian could answer, Jasmine stood on tiptoe and declared, “Mommy can’t lie in front of kids, you know!”
Hearing that question, both Ethan and Quincy glanced over curiously.
Lillian cleared her throat. “It’s okay, I guess… but I don’t think the filling’s quite authentic.”
“Really?” Conrad lowered his head thoughtfully, then walked over, grabbed her hand, and casually ate the half-eaten spring roll she hadn’t finished. “Yeah… seems like it. I’ll try harder next time.”
When he bent down like that, his broad, solid frame ended up brushing against her shoulder.
Under the shadow he cast, Lillian turned her head slightly – and caught a glimpse of his still-handsome profile.
Before she could awkwardly pull away, he had already straightened up. “Want some more? We made plenty.”
He acted like that borderline inappropriate move a moment ago hadn’t even happened.
Quincy blinked, sensing that something felt… off, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.
Ethan, meanwhile, was mulling things over. These days, homewreckers are bad enough – but this guy’s not much better.
“Mr. Ethan, what do you think of the taste?” Conrad asked, pretending to be fair – though he didn’t even wait for Ethan to answer before adding, “Oh, by the way, you’ve got work later, right? You should probably head out early. My company’s still waiting on the final proposal from your team.”
Ethan sipped his milk calmly. “There’s no rush. After all, since Mr. Conrad, you’re a guest here, it wouldn’t be right to leave you alone at home. The proposal’s nearly finished anyway – I just need to review the process. No need for me to handle every little detail.”
The tension between the two men was thick enough to cut with a knife, and Lillian’s scalp prickled just listening to it.
After breakfast, Ethan took the initiative to clean up the dishes. Lillian decided to gather up the laundry from the day before and wash it all at once. Meanwhile, Conrad grabbed the vacuum cleaner.
Jasmine hurried off to find a cloth to wipe the table – though that task proved a little too challenging for her, as she ended up wiping more of the floor than the table. Quincy trailed behind her, picking things up off the ground.
Lillian felt a little awkward. While Ethan was still busy, she quickly walked over to Conrad’s side.
“Aren’t you supposed to be at work today? Is the Brown Family Group shutting down or something? Aren’t you busy?”
“It’s not going to collapse in a day. Are you worried about me?”
“Don’t bother them. Jasmine has school too.”
“Kindergarten isn’t that demanding. Besides, it’s not like I get to see you much. If I don’t come looking for you, are you going to come find me?” Conrad turned his face away, tugging the vacuum cleaner along with one hand. “I wasn’t bothering you guys. I even brought breakfast for everyone.”
Conrad added, “I didn’t start any trouble either – what’s the problem?”
That aggrieved tone – like she’d been bullying him or something.
“Don’t play the victim with me.”
“I’m not! I’m just being honest. You’re just biased against me.” He didn’t even look at her, just kept vacuuming the spotless floor like it owed him money.
“That’s the mop button – what exactly are you vacuuming?”
Couldn’t even handle basic chores but still wanted to act like Mr. Domestic.
Ethan came out just in time to see the two of them whispering.
“Lillian, since Jasmine doesn’t visit often, why don’t we take the kids out instead of staying cooped up inside? I heard there’s a children’s amusement park in City N – we could go there.”
Conrad turned off the vacuum cleaner. “I actually had that in mind already. Got the tickets too. It’s a busy day, so using the express lane will save us some time.”
Ethan tucked his hands in his pockets. “Looks like Mr. Conrad’s already got everything planned out.”
Conrad returned the vacuum cleaner to its place. “Naturally.” He brushed past him and said, “Jasmine, Quincy, go grab your bags – we’re heading out!”
“Yay! Dad, I want that fairy wand!”
“Then I want a magic wand too!”
Since both dads had said they were going out, the two little ones were overjoyed. Meanwhile, Lillian felt her head pounding – she had a feeling this trip wasn’t going to be easy.
She sensed something was off the moment they left the house.
After helping his daughter put on her shoes, Conrad instinctively grabbed Lillian’s ankle just as she was stepping out of her slippers and slipped her flats onto her feet.
Before Lillian could even react, Conrad had already straightened up, calmly taking Jasmine’s hand and turning to look at her, as if waiting for her to leave.
“Need me to carry your bag?”
“I can carry it myself.”
That overwhelming presence of his… even Ethan had to admit, it was impressive. No wonder Conrad always managed to snatch up the projects he set his sights on.
Two handsome men, one beautiful woman, and two adorable kids – this odd combination stood in the elevator together. When a neighbor stepped in, they glanced around uncertainly, unsure if they should say something or just mind their business.
Once they got downstairs, Ethan was just starting to think he might get a brief break from Conrad – only to spot a stretch limo parked right outside.
Ethan: … Seriously?
“Mr. Conrad, is this how you arrived this morning?”
“Yeah. I’ve already prepared the pudding you like. Quincy, want to hop in and pick one out?”
Quincy glanced at Ethan, who adjusted his glasses, the lenses flashing. “Go ahead. Just remember to take Jasmine with you – and say thank you to Mr. Conrad.”
“Thank you, Mr. Conrad!” Quincy chimed in cheerfully, then grabbed Jasmine’s hand and climbed into the vehicle. “Wow! Look at the Pompompurin design! This one’s so cute. Ooh, this one’s strawberry-flavored!”
When Lillian got inside, she realized the limo was more impressive than she’d expected.
The middle section had been turned into a play area with soft cushions where the kids could play with plastic balls safely. Meanwhile, the adults could relax on the sofa area with drinks in hand.
It was practically a hands-free parenting paradise.
Ethan glanced around and noticed something interesting – there was one solo seat available.
Both men instinctively moved toward the two-seater spot, but before they could sit down, Lillian quickly claimed the single seat for herself.
Conrad, “…”
Ethan, “…”
“Mr. Conrad, do you prefer sitting by the window?”
“Whatever.” What’s the point of sitting next to you anyway?
The two men ended up sitting side by side, neither bothering to so much as glance at the other. The awkward tension between them was… something else.