But it was too late; the reporters had already surrounded the entrance of the mall. Even with magical powers, it would be impossible to escape, let alone run away. Even Zelda Bennett was shocked to see the reporters, and she turned to look at Maxwell Thornton.
“How did the reporters know we were here?”
As soon as Zelda finished her sentence, she successfully hooked her arm around Maxwell's. Despite the unexpected situation, she didn't miss the chance to take advantage of the moment, hoping the reporters would capture a picture of them being intimate, even while shopping. At this point, standing in front of Lily Bennett was a picture-perfect couple—handsome and beautiful, made for each other. In this scenario, Lily felt like the third wheel, the one intruding and ruining their relationship.
Within seconds, the reporters had surrounded the three of them, bursting with excitement at the sight of the main trio of this scandal standing together in one frame. By the end of the day, it would surely be a hot headline, trending both online and in print.
While the other two stood confidently before the cameras, Lily continued to hide her face, determined not to be seen. She was about to slip away, but a reporter's sharp question stopped her in her tracks.
"Dr. Bennett, did you come here intentionally because you knew Chairman Thornton and Zelda Bennett were on a date?"
Lily peeked through her fingers, her beautiful eyes locking on the person who had just asked the question. I would love to wish them a lifetime of happiness, she thought bitterly. Why do you all insist on misinterpreting things and throwing dirt on others?
Maxwell, however, remained calm, casting a mocking smile at the reporter as he spoke up, cutting into the conversation. “What are you thinking? Does any reporter focus on a person with no influence and ignore the key figures right in front of them? Are Zelda and I not interesting enough for you?”
Lily blinked, confused.
Is he... is he defending me?
No, that couldn’t be it. Maxwell hadn’t wanted to clarify anything with the media earlier. He hadn’t spoken a word when the reporters first appeared. But now, he was finally saying something—surely to make things worse for her. He was the kind of man who always found a way to push others into a corner. Was this all part of a plan he had orchestrated?
All the microphones turned toward Lily after Maxwell’s statement. The eager eyes of the reporters now fixated on her, hoping for more drama. She glanced at Maxwell, unsure of his intentions. What more could this man, who never said anything nice, possibly want to say?
But before he could continue, Lily flashed a smile and spoke up, diverting the attention back to herself. "How could I possibly interfere with their relationship? I’m not that capable. If they're dating, that's their business. I’m just here to buy a gift for my boyfriend and happened to bump into Chairman Thornton and Ms. Bennett." Her smile brightened as she continued, determined to play along. "I’d like to take this chance to wish them a long and happy life together, and if they struggle to have kids, well, they can always come to me!"
The reporters, holding back their laughter, were thoroughly entertained. Based on Dr. Bennett’s words, it seemed clear: Maxwell Thornton and Zelda Bennett were indeed a couple, and perhaps even on the path to marriage. But Maxwell had never confirmed this publicly!
“Mr. Thornton, are you and Zelda really dating? When will you get engaged?”
“Have you started planning the wedding?”
“So, Dr. Bennett’s words mean you’ve already set a date?”
Maxwell, "..."
Zelda, standing beside him, smiled and nodded slightly as the reporters dug deeper into the status of her relationship with Maxwell, as if it were already a settled fact. But then Maxwell’s gaze suddenly turned toward Lily. Meeting his eyes, she responded with an arrogant and indifferent look, perfectly mimicking his aloofness, her expression full of teasing and provocation.
"Chairman Thornton, the reporters are asking you! When’s the wedding? You know, it’s good to have children early."
Maxwell's lips curved into a faint smile. He removed Zelda’s arm from his and, with a casual smirk, turned to the reporters and said, “Zelda and I are just friends.”
Zelda was immediately stunned, as if she had been slapped in the face. Although Maxwell had never acknowledged her as his girlfriend, he had also never denied it so bluntly in front of the media. Why was he now rejecting her so decisively?
She stood frozen, her expression souring.
Realizing that the situation wasn’t unfolding as she had imagined, Lily had a strong sense that Maxwell would find a way to drag her back into this mess. As the reporters' attention focused on Maxwell and Zelda, she discreetly tried to slip away. Unfortunately, Maxwell reached out and grabbed her scarf, pulling her back into his arms.
Zelda, meanwhile, found herself naturally pushed out of the conversation, unsure how she had gone from the center of attention to being on the sidelines. Frustrated, she tried to peer over the heads of the crowd, but all she could see were reporters surrounding Maxwell and Lily. Stamping her foot in anger, she turned to leave. She looked back one last time, but no one seemed to care. It was as if she were the unwanted third wheel, painfully ignored by everyone, including the man she liked, who had just publicly discarded her.
Inside the mall, Lily was internally cursing, swearing that she would never buy another scarf again. But why hadn’t she thought to just untie it and make her escape when Maxwell had grabbed it?
She looked over at Maxwell, who was holding her with an all-too-natural posture, his arm snug around her waist. As the crowd closed in around them, pushing Zelda farther away, Lily narrowed her eyes. She tried to pry Maxwell's fingers off her waist one by one, but in the eyes of the crowd, their relationship was no longer ambiguous.
“Mr. Thornton, are you and Dr. Bennett really just a doctor and patient?” someone asked from the crowd.
Quickly freeing herself from Maxwell’s grasp, Lily nodded in response. “Yes, yes, I’m just his doctor. That’s the extent of our relationship.”
But the hand she had just removed from her waist returned in an instant, this time gripping her even tighter. Lily gritted her teeth and glared at Maxwell, who simply smiled at her gently. The gesture was so clear that the reporters now looked at the two of them with knowing expressions. Trying to maintain her composure, Lily pinched Maxwell's arm behind his back, still smiling at the reporters as she tried to explain.
“Mr. Thornton prefers not to discuss his health too much. I hope you all understand.”
But the more she spoke, the more useless it became, as the man beside her had no intention of cooperating.
Maxwell's lips curved into a smirk as he watched Lily squirm, and after a moment, he finally addressed the reporters. “Dr. Bennett has helped me a lot—both physically and mentally.”
“Maxwell, stop joking. I’m not a psychiatrist,” Lily said, forcing a half-smile as she pinched his arm harder.
Perhaps the pinch had actually hurt this time, as Maxwell released his hold on her. Just as Lily turned back around, she saw that Maxwell had wrapped the scarf—meant for William Edsel—around his own neck, and he was now lazily commenting, “Thank you! I really like it. You’ve got great taste.”
Lily had just told the reporters that the scarf was for her boyfriend. Yet now, this man had the audacity to wear it himself. Was he trying to tell the world that he was her boyfriend? Lily reached out to grab the scarf, but it was no use. Unable to do anything else, she pointed to the store behind them and smiled.
“If you like it, just keep it. My boyfriend is very generous, so he won’t mind. I’ll just pick out another one for him later.”
“Generous? Of course, I’m very generous. Pick out as many as you like, especially since they’re for your hospital colleagues.”
Lily’s eyes widened in disbelief. He’s completely lost it, she thought.
While Lily was still staring at Maxwell in shock, the reporters, now thoroughly entertained, fired off another round of questions. “So, Dr. Bennett, did you and Mr. Thornton fall in love at the hospital?”
“Yes, he came in for treatment!...” Lily nodded, only to realize too late what she had just confirmed.
Maxwell smiled, not denying her response but instead praising her in front of the reporters.
“She’s the kindest doctor I’ve ever met,” he said, his gaze lingering meaningfully on her lips.
Meeting Maxwell for the first time was clearly the beginning of a nightmare for Dr. Bennett. She looked at him in bewilderment, unable to find the words to respond. Suddenly, a reporter shouted out another question.
“Dr. Bennett, did you fall in love with Mr. Thornton at first sight?”
“How did you feel the first time you saw him?”
Lily looked at Maxwell, then burst out laughing. "Hahaha, his kidneys weren’t in the best shape!"