Lily turned her head away, trying to escape from the overwhelming masculine presence of Maxwell, who was so close that every word he spoke felt like it was meant to kiss her soft lips. But instead of kissing her, he gently held her chin, preventing her from turning away. He wanted her to face him while they spoke, not to avoid his gaze. Lily, of course, understood this. The feeling of being face to face, with their eyes locked, made her feel like everything before her was pure and captivating, drawn in by the intensity of his eyes. So she simply closed her eyes to avoid being mesmerized by them.
Maxwell smiled at her adorable reaction and softly said, “We’re just regular people. Let your feelings come naturally. There’s no need to hide or avoid them. Doing so only makes you weaker, less confident, both physically and mentally, making it hard to face challenges.”
After saying this, he took out his phone and called Simon, instructing him to bring a new set of clothes for Lily. Embarrassed, Lily pulled the blanket around herself and went into the bathroom. She turned on the water and looked at herself in the mirror. Her body bore the marks left by the man, and no matter how much she washed, she couldn’t erase them. She scrubbed her fair skin with such force that it turned red, but still, the marks wouldn’t fade. Wrapping herself in a towel, she opened the door and stepped out.
When Lily emerged, the clothes were already laid out on the bed. The man who had been completely bare earlier was now dressed in a new outfit, looking refined and dashing. He glanced at his expensive watch and then at Lily.
“I’m giving you two days to think. By the evening of the third day, I need to know your decision.”
Lily glared at him, thought for a moment, and said, “Three days!”
Maxwell’s eyes darkened. “One day. Do you enjoy bargaining with me?”
With that, he casually draped his jacket over his arm.
Having failed to negotiate, going from two days down to one, Lily felt frustrated, staring at the man standing confidently before her.
“Two days it is! I’ve never seen a man so overbearing and arrogant, lording over others as if it’s his birthright. You’re bossy and unreasonable! Do you enjoy giving orders?”
Maxwell turned to look at her with a knowing expression, as if silently conveying that he could prove to her at any time and place that he was a real man with principles. Being one of the most powerful business moguls in the industry, his arrogance and sense of superiority were deeply ingrained in him, not something that just appeared out of nowhere.
In the end, Lily held back her frustration, not wanting to argue with him. As Maxwell turned to leave, she raised her middle finger at him and quietly muttered three words under her breath.
“I despise you!”
Maxwell was fully aware of her childish gesture. A smirk tugged at his lips, but he didn’t take offense. Nearly two hours had passed since their conversation began when Maxwell grabbed his jacket and made his way out. Lily, still holding her clothes, was about to head to the bathroom to change when suddenly Maxwell turned around and called out to her.
“Lily.”
She looked back at him in confusion. Standing by the door, Maxwell smiled and raised his middle finger at her.
The middle finger!
Lily, enraged, grabbed a pillow and hurled it towards the door. “You jerk!!”
But the door had already closed, and the pillow lightly hit the door, barely making a sound, like a pebble tossed into the ocean, leaving little impact. Lily fumed, feeling as if she was about to explode. Beside her clothes, her purse, also delivered by Simon, lay waiting. Without a second thought, she quickly opened her bag and grabbed her phone. She had missed several calls from Liam since the night before, as she hadn’t returned home. Hurriedly, she called him back, and immediately, the sweet and innocent voice of her son came through.
“Lily, how did the date go? You’ve been naughty, you know? I’ve called you so many times!”
“Sweetheart, where are you?”
Speaking into the phone, Lily stepped out of the café and hailed a taxi.
Liam honestly replied, “I’m at home. Aunt Emily said if the date went well, you wouldn’t come home last night. I was really worried, so I kept calling.”
Lily, “…” Emily is spouting nonsense again! Poor child. Is there any mother more neglectful than me?
Lily didn’t have time to explain everything to Liam over the phone, so she simply told him, “Darling, pack your things. I’ve got a surprise for you. Didn’t you say you wanted to go to Vung Tau to see the ocean? This summer break, I’ll take you to see the beach. How does that sound?”
There was silence on the other end for a moment, then Liam laughed and asked, “I’d love that! But, Mom, do we have enough money to go?”
Lily felt a lump in her throat at her son’s question. “Yes, sweetheart, we do. Just pack your things, and I’ll come pick you up soon.”