Lillian didn’t know when Andrew had left. All she knew was that she’d been sitting in the room for a long, long time.
Long enough that Conrad suddenly jolted awake.
He stared at her for a while, then got out of bed to wash up.
As he passed her, he paused in his tracks. Only then did she finally look up and meet his gaze.
“Lillian?” He seemed to have just recognized her.
Or maybe… maybe he thought he was dreaming – that she was just a figment of his imagination. The fact that she was really there, standing before him, left him stunned.
Lillian wanted to smile at him, but after thinking about it for a long time, all she could manage was, “Are you feeling any better?”
His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. “I feel much better after some sleep… just still a little tired.”
“Have you been sick a lot these past few years?”
He shook his head. “I’m in great shape.”
“Really?”
“Really. I could stick around and watch over you and Jasmine for another hundred years.”
Andrew’s words echoed in Lillian’s mind.
“Even the strongest body will wear down after years of running on empty.”
She knew he was sick – and probably not just physically.
No one knew better than her what it felt like to be unable to sleep.
Lillian let out a sigh of relief. “Jasmine should be back soon. What do you feel like eating tonight?”
Conrad glanced at the clock on the wall. “Ford’s picking her up… Wait, you’re cooking dinner for me tonight?”
“Why not? If you’re not in the mood…”
“No, no! Of course, I want to eat!” Conrad wondered if he’d forgotten to take his meds – how else could he be dreaming of her saying something like that?
After a moment’s thought, he reached out and grabbed her hand. “Slap me.”
“What?”
“Just to see if I’m dreaming.”
Lillian felt both amused and concerned. “Stop being ridiculous. Go brush your teeth and wash your face. You’re sick – put some clothes on instead of walking around half-naked all the time.”
Hearing her nagging – which was really just her way of caring – Conrad felt like he was stepping on clouds.
No solid ground beneath his feet.
As he stepped into the bathroom, a sudden thought hit him. “Wait… this isn’t some kind of ‘farewell dinner,’ is it?”
Lillian blinked, startled by his train of thought. “If you don’t go clean up right now, I really will make it a farewell dinner.”
“On it!” He finally relaxed, but something still felt off.
How had everything changed so much… just from him taking a nap?
And why was she suddenly being so nice to him?
“So… have you decided what you want to eat?”
Conrad pulled on a shirt. “Whatever you make… I’ll eat.”
He’d eat anything.
Lillian nodded. “Alright then, let’s go. Dinner should be ready by the time the kids get back.”
On their way downstairs, Conrad still felt like he was dreaming. He couldn’t resist tugging on her sleeve.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, turning back to him.
He leaned down, getting close – this time, she didn’t move away. His forehead pressed gently against hers.
“Is it me who’s sick… or you? Lillian, this doesn’t feel real.”
She looked into his eyes. “Maybe… maybe we both are.”
Conrad froze. She had already turned away, heading downstairs.
“Come on,” she called over her shoulder. “If we wait any longer, there won’t be any fresh ingredients left.”
Since becoming a director, her schedule had turned upside down. Cooking? Forget that – some days she barely remembered to eat at all.
And after five years away from City N, she honestly had no idea where to buy groceries anymore.
It was Conrad who grabbed the car keys. “Let’s go to that supermarket Nancy always goes to.”
Nancy had almost chimed in to say their vegetables came fresh from their backyard, so there was no need for a grocery run.
But she decided not to spoil the mood. There was a certain charm in shopping for groceries together. Watching the two of them leave, she felt so giddy she almost wanted to grab a chicken from the backyard and make a pot of soup to celebrate.
Just in case, she checked with the security booth. “That Fox hasn’t been around lately, has she?”
“Don’t worry, Nancy. She wouldn’t dare show up.”
“Good,” Nancy said with satisfaction. “Glad you’ve got some sense.”
She hung up, determined to keep everything locked down like a fortress.
No way was that woman going to pop up at a time like this!
Conrad still felt like he was dreaming even after getting in the car. When he saw Lillian actually sitting in the passenger seat, fastening her seatbelt, he couldn’t help but ask again, just to be sure.
“Are you really coming grocery shopping with me?”
“Yeah, why? You don’t want me to?” Lillian noticed how uncertain he still seemed, and the nervous look in his eyes made her heart soften. “You’re seriously overthinking this.”
How could he not overthink it?
He’d only taken a nap, and now she wanted to cook for him. That was even more unbelievable than winning the lottery. How could he not wonder what was going on?
Conrad thought about it for a moment, then tentatively asked, “Did Jasmine or someone else say something to you?”
“Nope, why would you think that?” Lillian turned her head to look at him.
Conrad wasn’t sure. He didn’t have that kind of confidence. “I’m just worried you’re mad at me.”
If she was mad, she might ignore him altogether.
Lillian felt a dull ache in her chest. She had thought that his emotions-his joy, anger, or sorrow-no longer mattered to her. She believed she didn’t care anymore.
But now that the truth was laid bare in front of her, she couldn’t help but feel upset. She couldn’t stop herself from being affected.
So, it turned out that for the past five years, both she and Conrad had been equally miserable.
Neither of them had been better off than the other.
Neither of them had managed to escape the shadow of that day five years ago.
They hadn’t really reunited after five years-they’d been trapped in that moment all along.
Lillian smiled faintly. “I’m not mad, and no one said anything. I just figured since the kids will be home later and I’ve got nothing else to do, I might as well cook a meal.”
Home.
Conrad used to scoff at the word “home,” but hearing it now filled him with joy.
She was calling Hillside Villa her home.
The very place she had tried to escape from countless times-she was now calling it home.
That surreal feeling lingered even when they arrived at the nearby supermarket. Conrad still felt like he was dreaming.
Once they parked, Conrad felt a bit lost. Even when Lillian got out of the car, he quickly called George.
But that idiot must’ve had too much to drink the night before-he didn’t answer.
Calling Gordon wasn’t much better.
Useless. Every single one of them. Completely unreliable in a crisis.
Conrad had no choice but to look toward Andrew, who had been following in another car for security.
Andrew noticed Conrad staring at him with an expression so tense that it looked like a bomb had been thrown in front of him. In all his years, he’d never seen Conrad this stressed-not even in life-or-death situations. Worried, Andrew quickly closed his car door and strode over.
“Sir, what’s wrong?”
Conrad lowered his voice. “Lillian’s coming grocery shopping with me. Do you have any experience shopping with women? What am I supposed to do? Are there any… tips or something?”
“…?” Andrew stared at him, completely baffled.
He knew how to buy weapons… but grocery shopping tips?
“Uh… maybe… grab the bill first? Carry the bags?” Andrew offered uncertainly.
“That’s it?”
By now, Lillian had already been waiting outside the car for a while. Seeing Conrad and Andrew standing there, looking serious and muttering like they were planning a covert operation, she spoke up.
“If there’s something urgent you need to take care of, it’s fine. I can just head back by myself later.”
“I’m fine,” Conrad blurted out. When she glanced his way, he quickly added, “I mean… I don’t have anything urgent.”
“Then let’s go.” Lillian grabbed her purse and started walking toward the store entrance.
Conrad hurried to follow her.
With his long legs, he naturally caught up in just a few steps. When they reached the entrance, he grabbed a shopping cart without hesitation.
But it was obvious he wasn’t familiar with this sort of thing-he had no clue which aisle to head to first.
Andrew and his group followed along, each grabbing a shopping cart as well.
It quickly turned into a scene where Lillian walked ahead toward the produce section, while a dozen burly men trailed behind her, each pushing a cart.
The sight was so intimidating that the supermarket staff couldn’t help but stare at them, wide-eyed, as if they were expecting trouble.