Even before getting into the car, Maxwell Thornton couldn’t reach Lily Bennett on the phone, so he hadn't rested at all during the entire trip. Simon, his assistant, hesitated as he glanced at his boss.
"If you have something to say, just say it," Chairman Thornton coldly glanced at Simon.
Simon forced a smile and replied, "I received news from the hospital this morning. Dr. Bennett applied for her annual leave, a month and a half in total, citing her upcoming wedding with you as the reason. Then she extended her leave by another two weeks, making it a full two months. I also sent someone to her residence, and the neighbors mentioned that she left early this morning with a suitcase and a boy around six or seven years old…”
Two months! Maxwell recalled the two-month contract from his phone conversation with Lily yesterday afternoon. His eyes darkened, and a slight, amused smile curved his lips. This woman was clever, thinking she could settle the score and escape his grasp after two months of wandering? Wishful thinking!
"Keep tracking her. When you find her, bring her back to me!" Maxwell's tone was cold, almost like a command.
Simon immediately nodded, then asked, "Chairman, would you like to dine at the restaurant or have the food delivered to your room later?"
Maxwell didn’t answer right away. He pulled out his phone and tried calling Lily again, but there was still no answer. He stood up and stepped outside.
"I’ll go to the restaurant."
Simon was about to follow him when Maxwell suddenly turned back and said, “No need to come with me. I’ll call you once I’m done eating.”
At that, Simon headed to the reception desk to check in.
When Lily Bennett finally turned on her phone, a call from Maxwell Thornton came through. She had planned to discard her SIM card as soon as they reached the hotel, but in the rush, she forgot. Now, looking at the incoming call, she hesitated. If it wasn’t urgent, there was no need to answer.
Seeing her hesitation, Lucas Greek, who was sitting beside her, asked, “Is it someone you don’t want to talk to?”
He couldn’t help but notice the name “Stalker” displayed on Lily’s phone screen, so his curiosity was piqued.
Lily smiled awkwardly and hung up. "It's nothing, just a wrong number."
Was it really just a wrong number if the caller was saved in her contacts? Lucas smiled silently, watching her.
On the other end, Maxwell frowned.
How bold of her! She actually dares to hang up on me. Trying to avoid me again? She was as irresponsible as always. But thinking she could vanish without changing her number? She must think she's playing some game of hide-and-seek with him. Did she really think he’d just give up? She clearly didn’t understand his nature—when she pushed him away, he only wanted to draw closer, especially since he still hadn’t fully uncovered her secrets.
Without hesitation, Maxwell dialed the number again. Lily had barely exchanged a few more words with Lucas when the phone rang once more. Lucas saw the amused smile tug at her lips and teased, “It seems your stalker is not just persistent but also incredibly stubborn.”
At that moment, Maxwell reached the entrance of the restaurant. The soft ringtone of a phone echoed through the air, and he overheard the conversation of the man seated by the window. Sitting across from him was a woman, her back to the door. When the phone in her hand was hung up, Maxwell's call was immediately declined. The ringtone stopped abruptly in the restaurant as well.
The man sitting with the woman was tall and broad-shouldered, nearly blocking her entirely from view. Only a small glimpse of her nude-colored dress was visible. If it weren’t for the server accidentally bumping Lily, causing her to fall slightly into Lucas’s arms, Maxwell wouldn’t have noticed that the woman in the nude dress was none other than the elusive Dr. Bennett he had been searching for.
Soup had spilled slightly on Lily, and Lucas quickly grabbed a napkin to help her clean it up. However, his hands became a bit too eager, moving to places they shouldn't. Embarrassed, Lily reached out to take the napkin from him, intending to clean herself. But suddenly, a strong, firm hand reached from behind her, snatching the napkin away from Lucas. Maxwell Thornton began wiping the spill from Lily's dress, his voice dripping with affection.
“How careless. What if you had gotten hurt?”
Lily was startled and turned to face him... Was this an illusion? It had to be!
The man who stood before her, speaking to her in such a tender, caring manner—who was this? If she wasn't mistaken, wasn’t this the Thornton Chairman? But why was he here? Had he been tracking her?
Shocked, Lily instinctively grabbed her son's hand. Her escape from Chairman Thornton had led her straight into the city where he was on a business trip? What cruel twist of fate! In a country so large, in a world so vast, how had she ended up in the very place where he was?
It seemed like the law of Murphy had struck again. When you want to meet someone, even if they live next door, it can be impossible to cross paths. But when you desperately try to avoid someone, no matter how big the world, it feels like there's always a radar following you, ensuring you’ll run into them at the most unexpected moments.