Lily Bennett strolled alone in the garden, lost in her thoughts. In a moment of distraction, she accidentally bumped into a maid carrying a tray of food, causing the contents to tumble to the ground. Lily immediately apologized and knelt down to help the maid clean up the mess. As she did, she caught sight of Lida Yang’s reflection in the hallway mirror. A sudden thought flashed through her mind—if Maxwell Thornton wouldn’t let her go, couldn’t Lida, as his mother, use her authority to force him to leave her? But why hadn’t she done that yet?
Distracted by her thoughts, Lily didn’t notice a shard of broken dish until it cut her finger. From where Lida stood, she would have had a clear view of the scene. Startled by the sharp pain, Lily looked down at the wound and then at the maid, who seemed on the verge of tears. Pressing her fingers tightly against the bleeding cut, she reassured the maid, "I’m fine, you can go now. Just be more careful next time."
Seeing the blood streaming from Lily's hand, the maid grew even more flustered. Fearing she might have hurt Lily further, she hurriedly picked up the remaining dishes while apologizing repeatedly, tears welling in her eyes. The commotion soon drew attention from everyone in the dining room.
Maxwell Thornton was the first to appear, though Kaytlyn clung to his arm, preventing him from rushing to Lily. Kaytlyn had somehow managed to slink out from the shadows unnoticed, her face pale, and she spoke in a soft voice, “Max, I feel dizzy.”
Caliy Thornton followed closely behind them. Without a second thought, she pulled Kaytlyn’s hand away from Maxwell’s arm. “Are you dizzy? Are you alright?”
With Kaytlyn now released, Maxwell quickly made his way to Lily, taking her injured hand into his. Standing in front of Lida Yang, Lily wanted to appear like a helpless and pretentious girl in Maxwell’s eyes, seeking pity from him to irritate his mother. When Maxwell showed concern, she feigned innocence and shook her head pitifully.
“I’m fine, I accidentally knocked over the tray, and when I tried to help clean up, I ended up cutting myself... It’s entirely my fault. I scared her.”
The maid, terrified now, was not frightened by Lily's injury but by the strange way she had spoken and acted—so unexpectedly sweet and self-deprecating.
Maxwell quickly called for the first aid kit and began bandaging her wound with practiced ease. In truth, it stung a little, but Lily kept playing her part. “I’m alright, it doesn’t hurt at all. You should go check on Kaytlyn. I heard she was feeling dizzy earlier. I hope she isn’t hurt.”
Lily's performance was Oscar-worthy, but Maxwell leaned closer, pressing slightly on her wound, and whispered, “Lily, you’re overacting.”
Lily's face stiffened, and she muttered back, “I’m not acting!”
After everything was sorted out, Lida Yang adjusted the expensive shawl draped over her shoulders and spoke to Maxwell, “Come to the private room. We need to talk.”
Maxwell glanced briefly at Lily. “Wait for me here.”
Lily swore that this was the most proper and dignified thing she had ever done in her life up to that point. She bit her lip and nodded with a smile, radiating warmth.
Maxwell turned and followed his parents to the study. Only then did Lily exhale in relief. But before she could fully enjoy the fresh air, Kaytlyn grabbed her and dragged her toward the back garden. Lily didn’t have time to resist, though she figured that at least Kaytlyn wouldn’t do something as extreme as what Zelda Bennett had done—sneaking thugs into the Thornton estate to try and stab her. So, she didn’t struggle.
Seeing Kaytlyn pulling Lily away, Caliy Thornton grew concerned and wanted to follow them to see what Kaytlyn might do, but her husband stopped her. “Kaytlyn sees Dr. Bennett as a rival, so she wouldn’t dare harm her. Don’t worry. She probably just wants to talk.”
Caliy considered his words and agreed. She sat down beside him on the sofa, and they watched TV together.
Meanwhile, in the back garden, Kaytlyn finally let go of Lily's arm.
“Lily Bennett, let me tell you something—I’m…”
“You’re Maxwell’s future wife, I know.” Lily cut her off before Kaytlyn could finish.
Furious, Kaytlyn pointed at Lily, “And, also, Max—”
“I’ll leave Max for you, don’t worry.”
“I…”
“I already know what you’re going to say, so there’s no need to say it.” Lily patted Kaytlyn’s shoulder, smiling gently. “Just keep trying. Even iron can be turned into gold if you’re persistent enough. Max will understand your feelings eventually. Think of this time as a test from him.”
Lily's words left Kaytlyn speechless. The woman, who moments ago had been brimming with arrogance, now stood there dumbfounded, her confidence shaken by her rival’s calm and understanding demeanor. Without another word, Kaytlyn stamped her foot and stormed off.
As Lily walked back through the garden, she spotted the same maid sitting alone, still looking shaken. Feeling a pang of guilt, Lily approached her.
The moment the maid saw Lily, she jumped up, bowing her head as if expecting to be scolded. But instead, Lily gently took her hand, speaking softly and with sincerity, “I’m sorry for scaring you earlier.” She held up her bandaged hand, showing the maid. “See? It’s all fine now!”
When the maid remained silent but no longer appeared frightened, Lily smiled and asked, “Do you have a phone?”
The maid, who looked no older than eighteen or nineteen, was surprised by Lily’s sudden kindness but nodded.
Lily held out her hand. “Give it to me.”
The maid handed over her phone, and Lily quickly entered her own number into it before returning it with a smile. “It looks like you’ve got a burn scar on your hand. I’ve saved my number in your phone. I work at a hospital, and we have excellent plastic surgeons. If you ever want to get that scar treated, just call me, and I’ll ask the doctors to help.”
The maid bowed her head, thanking Lily quietly. Lily gave her a quick hug and whispered in her ear, “Do me a favor. If Mrs. Yang asks about what happened earlier, just tell her I bumped into you on purpose and scratched my hand trying to hurt you.”
She let go of the maid and smiled warmly. “Or, say whatever you like. Just make sure you say something bad about me. When you come to the hospital for your scar treatment, I’ll cover all the costs.”
With that, Lily smiled one last time and walked back toward the main hall.
Out in the garden corridor, hidden from sight, Lorne Thornton leaned casually against a column, watching Lily’s figure disappear into the distance. A grin spread across his face. Kaytlyn wasn’t wrong—Maxwell really had found himself a surprisingly straightforward and honest girl. Her words and actions were so in line with her own feelings, utterly devoid of any deception, even when she tried to seem harsh and argumentative in front of everyone.
This girl was truly interesting.
Lorne's eyes darkened with intrigue, a smile playing on his lips. Should he tell his brother about this? Hmm, now that was an interesting question to ponder.