Conrad stood beside Lillian. “Come on, let’s go. It’s scorching out here – what if you get sunburned?”
“Mommy, Jasmine’s so hot… and Quincy’s hot too…”
Quincy squinted back at her, barely able to keep his eyes open.
Lillian wanted to flat-out refuse Conrad, but she couldn’t let the kids stand out there roasting in the sun either.
Grumbling inwardly about how shameless Conrad was, she forced a smile and said, “Alright, but you two better stay put and cheer us on. If you run around, Mommy won’t pay attention to you.”
“Don’t worry! We still have to cheer for Daddy too!” Jasmine patted her chest proudly. “Right?”
Quincy nodded along. “We won’t run around.”
The challenge area was buzzing with excitement. The commotion had even some of the regular park visitors wondering what was going on – how come there was one contest after another, all targeting the parents?
“Go, Daddy!”
Plenty of young couples had joined in too. Mixed in with the parents, they were full of energy. After all, showing off in front of their girlfriends? That was the prime motivation. And being younger, they figured they had a better shot at winning.
As soon as Conrad followed Lillian into the competition area, the smiles on those young guys’ faces started to falter. Especially when they saw their girlfriends’ expectant looks – they had no choice but to grit their teeth and lower into a deep squat stance.
“Alright, everyone! If you’re ready, go ahead and pick up your partner. The whistle’s about to blow!”
When Conrad easily scooped Lillian up, her hands stayed awkwardly folded in front of her chest, looking rather tense.
Conrad raised an eyebrow. “We’ve already had a daughter together – there’s nothing I haven’t seen. Hold on tighter, or you’ll slip down later.”
“You’re not just saying that because you’re afraid you won’t have the strength to keep holding me, are you?”
“Oh, you don’t know if I’ve got the strength? Trust me, I’d happily put every ounce of it to good use on you.”
Lillian immediately pulled out her trump card. “Point deduction – you’re flirting with me.”
“I’d call it ‘charming you.'”
“Another point gone – smooth talker. Don’t like it. And now you’re back-talking.”
Conrad shut his mouth completely. At this rate, he didn’t even have points left to lose.
“Mommy! Hold on tight to Daddy!” Jasmine’s sweet little voice rang out from the crowd.
Lillian took a deep breath, flexed her fingers a few times, and finally – carefully – looped her arms around Conrad’s neck. She didn’t just place her hands there; she hooked her arms securely around him.
Seeing this, Conrad couldn’t help but grin. He couldn’t hide his joy – it just spilled out across his face.
Lillian had been by his side for years, and in her memory, he rarely smiled like that – carefree, genuine, like a teenager who’d just gotten exactly what he wanted.
“You’re the one who reached for me first,” Conrad said smugly. “I’ll make sure you’re willing to do it again.”
“It’s just a game. Don’t start writing yourself a love story,” Lillian muttered, looking away.
The whistle blew just then, and Lillian felt herself dip downward as Conrad lowered into a squat – only to be lifted back up with ease by his strong arms.
Carrying a grown woman while squatting? It didn’t even seem like a challenge for him.
“Did you see his smile just now?” Hogan couldn’t hold back a snide remark. “Look at him, acting like he’s hit the jackpot.”
Gordon chuckled. “Well, what am I supposed to say? It’s been a long time since the young master smiled like that.”
Lionel shook his head. “I think things are going well. By the time Ethan gets back, maybe we can start planning the wedding banquet.”
Melissa scoffed and shook her head. “You idiots. We’re nowhere near that yet. Tonight’s the real test – whether she actually goes home with him is the key. Don’t forget, Conrad’s still sitting on a major ticking time bomb.”
Everyone turned to her. “What bomb?”
“There aren’t any women hanging around him anymore… unless you mean Fox? She’s no threat.”
“He’s out of shares too, right? That’s no big deal. If he wanted to make a comeback, all it’d take is one call.”
“I really can’t think of any huge disaster waiting to happen.”
Melissa tapped her temple. “The marriage certificate, you fools! Honestly, you guys are the worst batch I’ve ever worked with.”
“You mean… Conrad secretly registered their marriage back when Lillian was missing?” Gordon’s eyes widened.
“Exactly. Back then, everyone thought Lillian was gone, so it was practically like a posthumous marriage – seemed romantic and devoted at the time. But now that she’s back? Imagine how she’s gonna react when she finds out.”
“… Divorce?”
Melissa snapped her fingers. “Bingo! Congrats, sir – correct answer.”
If Conrad thought he could waltz in and win Lillian over just like that, he was dreaming. Lillian wasn’t about to agree to anything serious just yet – not mentally, not emotionally.
Right now, the only reason she was even willing to keep the peace with Conrad was because of Jasmine.
“Figuring out how to avoid that bomb – that’s what we should be worried about,” Melissa said, crossing her arms with a frown.
Meanwhile, Conrad easily outperformed everyone else in the competition circle. Honestly, for him, this was just the warm-up – the real challenge hadn’t even started yet.
When the whistle blew, those who had lost could only sigh in amazement, clapping their hands.
“Dude, you must’ve been in the army or something,” one of them said.
Conrad just smiled without replying. When he turned back, sure enough, Jasmine’s eyes were practically glowing with excitement.
“Daddy, you’re the best! The absolute best!”
“Mr. Conrad is so strong!”
Conrad hesitated for a moment before reluctantly setting Lillian down, clearly a little unwilling to let go. But Lillian didn’t have time to notice his delayed burst of teenage-boy feelings.
As she landed on her feet, her gaze accidentally fell on the scar running along the inside of his left forearm.
“What happened to your arm?” she asked.
She didn’t recall Hunter ever forcing Conrad to cut himself that badly.
Conrad glanced down at it and shrugged. “Old wound. Nothing serious.”
“‘Old wound’? Seriously?”
She didn’t buy it. There was no way someone had carved out those neat, evenly spaced scars on his wrist – not unless he’d done it himself.
But… would Conrad really have tried to hurt himself? She couldn’t imagine it.
“It’s really nothing,” he said vaguely. “With you and Jasmine around, why would I ever do something stupid?”
Conrad brushed it off, then changed the subject. “Come on, it’s too hot out here. Let’s take the kids inside for lunch.”
By the time they reached the restaurant, both kids were sweating buckets, their hair sticking to their foreheads. Once they felt the cool air from the AC, they finally perked up again.
Conrad didn’t need her help with anything. After they sat down, he effortlessly placed the kids in their child seats, ordered their meals, and even remembered Quincy’s food preferences. He didn’t say much, but when he pulled Jasmine’s favorite utensils from the diaper bag, his thoughtfulness was enough to shock anyone who’d known him before.
Lillian watched as he calmly sat with the kids, patient and relaxed.
In the past, Conrad never had the patience for this kind of thing – and honestly, he wouldn’t have even bothered trying.
Quincy didn’t need much attention, and Jasmine ate quietly too. Yet Conrad barely touched his own food. Instead, his gaze kept drifting toward Lillian – intense, deep, and lingering, as if he was afraid she’d vanish if he blinked.
When Lillian nibbled at her kids’ meal without much interest, Conrad spoke up.
“Don’t like it? We can go somewhere else if you want.”
She shook her head. “You’re… not acting like yourself lately.”