Perhaps Lily's expression was too obvious, as if she wanted Lida to despise her for being a money-hungry woman. Yet, Lida's attitude was the exact opposite, leaving Lily deeply conflicted. Lida was a good mother, always thinking of her children, unlike Zelda's mother, Camila, and even less like Lily's own mother, who had left her years ago without any news. This only made Lily feel even more uneasy.
Seeing Lily remain silent, Lida suddenly asked, "You’ve rejected Maxwell's feelings before, so why did you agree to live under the same roof with him?"
Lily awkwardly looked up at Lida, unable to admit that it was because of the three billion debt that she had agreed to a two-month contract as his fake girlfriend! But how could she explain it? From Lida’s words, Lily could feel the deep motherly love she had for her son, the same way Lily, as a mother herself, understood a parent's heart. Maxwell had asked her to sign the contract just to please his mother, but she could never deceive a mother who loved her son as much as Lida did.
After a moment of silence, Lily raised her head and decided to tell the truth, “For the money.”
Perhaps because she hadn’t expected such a direct answer, Lida's face momentarily stiffened.
Lily quickly tried to explain, "I grew up in a wealthy family—you're familiar with Gregory Bennett, right? I'm his eldest daughter. But I have nothing to do with that family. After my mother left when I was six, I was forced to live in a tiny room under the stairs for ten years. I envied Zelda because she had a mother to protect her, while I had no one. And I hated my father even more for pushing my mother away and bringing in another woman.
The moment I heard Zelda say that Maxwell was her fiancé, I was blinded by jealousy. So, I made a plan to approach your son. But I didn’t expect him to take the bait so easily. At first, I just wanted to humiliate the Bennett family, and I succeeded. So now, all I want is money. If you give me what I need, I’ll pack up and leave immediately."
Lily spoke bluntly, without being either humble or arrogant. That firmness seemed to strip away the tenderness and sweetness of her usual demeanor. Lida wasn’t surprised by her honesty. After hearing everything Lily said, she had expected Lida to despise her, but she was completely shocked by Lida's response.
In a gentle tone, Lida said, "So, you’ve never considered marrying my son? It seems that you're not as clever as I thought. Now you’re asking me for money, but how much could you possibly get? Ten billion? Twenty billion? No matter how much you ask for, it won’t be as much as what you’d gain by marrying my son if money is your goal. Wouldn't that be better than leaving here with just a small sum? If you marry my son, the Thornton family will treat you as a true member, and you’ll be loved like family. I can guarantee you’ll never have to worry about money for the rest of your life. What you gain will be far greater, don’t you think? Both money and family."
Lida’s words were so logical that Lily couldn’t argue back. When she had confessed that she was with Maxwell only for the money, she had expected Lida to slap her and call her a gold-digger.
Seeing Lily in a daze, Lida glanced at the pale blue envelope on the table, then softly said, “Lily, think about it carefully. If you truly don’t want to marry my son, you can return the envelope to me, or give it directly to Maxwell next time you meet. But I won’t give you any money to break up with him.”
After saying that, Lida stood up, gracefully picking up her limited edition red Hermès bag as she made her way toward the door. After Lida left, Lily felt as though her world had been turned upside down. The Thornton family was nothing like she had imagined. She couldn’t understand what had just happened. Was it luck or misfortune? She still didn’t know.
Sitting in her silver Audi on the way home, Lida raised an eyebrow and glanced at her assistant seated beside her.
“Mr.Baron , do you think Lily will consider what I said?”
After pondering for a moment, the assistant, Mr. Trần, calmly replied, "I think she understands your words well, but it’s hard to say if she’ll agree. The other night, when she came to the Thornton mansion, she deliberately tried to make you believe that she was only after money. There must have been some kind of misunderstanding between her and Maxwell, which is why she acted that way. Should I arrange for someone to investigate?"
“There’s no need to send anyone. Maxwell has clearly fallen for Lily, which means there’s something about her that we don’t know. Today’s meeting was just to test the waters.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Mr.Baron respectfully replied.
Lida added, “Leak a little information to Maxwell. Just mention that I visited Lily today and see how he reacts.”
“Yes, ma’am.”