Just like that, Maxwell Thornton lay in the middle of the bed, his right arm holding his son and his left arm wrapped around Lily Bennett. When asleep, Lily wasn’t used to being held, so she gently pushed the man's arm away and softly whispered:
"Let go of me. I'll sleep on the other side, so our son can sleep in the middle."
Maxwell's deep voice resonated in disagreement, though he spoke softly so as not to wake the child.
"Hmm? What did you say?"
It was obvious that Lily hadn’t spoken too quietly—enough for anyone in the room to hear—but he deliberately pretended not to. Now, being this close, every word from his mouth carried warm breath against her face, making it feel as if he was kissing her. Lily wanted to shout into his ear but restrained herself and whispered again:
“Let my son sleep in the middle. I’ll move to the other side.”
This time, Maxwell finally heard her clearly. But without thinking much, he responded with a short, firm, "No."
He looked at her with expectant eyes. “If you sleep on the other side, how am I supposed to have a heart-to-heart with you?”
A heart-to-heart? Heart-to-heart, my foot. Is this even serious, Thornton Chairman?
Even a simple thought would reveal what kind of “conversation” he wanted to have!! She wasn’t going to indulge him, and certainly wasn’t in the mood to listen to him.
So, Lily closed her eyes and murmured, "I'm tired. We'll talk tomorrow."
Maxwell’s eyes blazed with irritation, showing no intention of letting it go. “So, if I hadn’t seen you today, I’d have to wait another two months to have a conversation with you?”
“And so what?”
“Say that again?” His hand moved to her neck, tilting her chin towards him. Maxwell's gaze glinted with a sinister smile.
Lily held his arm, trying to turn her face away, but ended up facing away from him completely.
“I didn’t say anything.”
Maxwell tightened his grip on her slender waist, refusing to let her go. His irritation made him hold her more firmly, pressing her so she couldn’t resist.
He stared at her intently, "I'm giving you a chance to get closer to me, you know?"
Closer?! Although Lily wasn’t sure what he meant, a smirk appeared on her lips as she turned to look directly at Maxwell.
"You think I want to get close to you? For money or for fame?"
Maxwell didn’t expect her to turn the question on him, and for a moment, he was taken aback. If she really wanted to approach him for those reasons, she wouldn’t have kept the child hidden from him. As a mother, her son was undoubtedly her biggest vulnerability, the only love she needed to protect.
Instead of answering her, Maxwell asked another question, "We happened to meet in Da Lat, and now here again? What do you think the odds of that are?"
Maxwell was still suspicious of the coincidence of their meetings, wondering if Lily was secretly Monica, playing games with him. But then again, maybe not. Why had they met not just once but twice, and now a third time? Could this really be fate? Maxwell didn't believe in fate, yet some part of him wished Lily was Monica.
Lily was about to respond when Liam suddenly stirred beside them, pulling away from Maxwell’s arm. The boy abruptly sat up, startling Maxwell, who instinctively pulled Lily into his embrace.
Without opening his eyes, Liam grumbled, "Too noisy!"
He then clumsily turned around, wrapped himself in a blanket, and stumbled towards the sofa, where he fell asleep again. Maxwell watched in disbelief, turning back to the woman in his arms. Lily couldn’t help but laugh, patting his arm that was still holding her tightly.
“Thornton Chairman, what are you doing? Were you scared by a little kid?”
“Who is his father?” Maxwell suddenly lowered his gaze and asked.
Without hesitation, Lily responded, "I don't know. Didn't I tell you? My private life is a mess. I've been with so many men; how could I know who his father is?"
Somehow, Maxwell had always believed Lily wasn’t a careless woman. So when she said that, it made him laugh, a deep, hearty laugh, so much that his face turned red with joy. Lily, confused by his reaction, playfully hit his chest.
“What’s so funny? What if I really had AIDS, would you still be laughing? Stop laughing!!”
Maxwell then turned over, pinning her beneath him, his wicked gaze falling on her tempting, red lips.
"I believe you've been with many people, but I don't believe you're careless." His voice was resolute, his words firm. Lily, unwilling to argue further, pushed him off and wrapped her hands around his neck, angry.
“Get off me!!”
He grasped both her wrists, pinning them above her head. "So, do you prefer it gentle, or rough?"
Without waiting for an answer, he kissed her fiercely. The friction of their lips and the sound of their breaths mingling made her mind spin. At first, Lily tried to resist, but she was afraid to wake her son. She couldn't bear to imagine what it would be like if Liam opened his eyes and saw this scene. Lily could only twist her waist, signaling him to stop. But Maxwell, driven by instinct, didn’t care. She tried to bite his lips, hoping he’d release her, but he always found ways to dodge.
Finally, Maxwell released her, leaving Lily panting and too weak to resist. Looking at her flushed face, he was quite satisfied.
"This is the duty of a girlfriend and a future wife. Next time you secretly pack up and leave without a word, things won’t go as smoothly as this. Got it? Now, go to sleep."
After finishing, Maxwell rolled off her and tenderly pulled her into his arms, showing no signs of letting her go.
Sleep? After what you did to me, you expect me to sleep?
Lily, furious, kicked him in the leg. “Sleep on the floor!”
"Lily, don’t tease me. My willpower is very weak. If you move again, I won’t be able to stop myself, and we’ll end up doing it right here. It’d be awkward if our son wakes up and sees that."
As if to emphasize his point, Maxwell added with utmost seriousness, "I mean it."
Lily froze. She didn’t dare move anymore, recalling how terrifying Maxwell could be when he was serious. Surprisingly, he slept peacefully that night without doing anything further.
The next morning, when Lily woke up, Maxwell was already gone. If it weren't for his luggage still being there, she might have thought the events of the previous night had just been a fleeting dream. She stretched and turned to see Liam sitting on the bed, staring at her with wide, bright eyes.
Lily rubbed her eyes and asked, "Sweetheart, are you hungry?... Stop looking at me like that, you're making mommy nervous."
“Mommy, do you like Mr. Thornton more than me?” Liam asked earnestly, his eyes a little hurt as he looked up at her.
Lily hugged her son tightly. “Of course not. Mommy loves you the most. You’re my precious little one. No one else, just you, okay?”
"Maybe I should share a little love with him. He doesn’t have a son by his side, and he looks so pitiful." Liam snuggled into her, his voice sweet and soft.
Maxwell, standing at the door with breakfast in hand, heard the little boy say he was pitiful… At that moment, Lily was sitting with her back to the door, unaware that Maxwell had entered the room. She gently cupped her son’s small, adorable face.
“He’s not pitiful. He’s deserving a beating.”