Lily was at a loss for words, her heart aching as she signed her name on the paper. Maxwell glanced at it with satisfaction, handing her one copy of the contract while carefully placing the other into the drawer beside him. Then, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a bank card, offering it to Lily.
“I don’t need it,” Lily shook her head when she saw the card.
But to her surprise, the man casually put the card back into his pocket, reminding her, “Then you’ll have to buy yourself a decent dress. You’ll be wearing it to my brother’s birthday party with me tomorrow.”
“…” Only now did Lily realize why Maxwell had given her the card. She immediately regretted refusing it and extended her hand toward him. “Give me the card!”
Thornton Chairman’s face remained indifferent as he looked at the woman standing before him. “What’s wrong? I thought you didn’t need it.”
Lily glared at him, inwardly cursing him while flashing a bright smile. “Yes, Mr. Thornton, I would like that card. You wouldn’t be so stingy as to make me buy a dress for your party, would you? I’m broke, and I wouldn’t want to embarrass the Thornton Chairman by wearing something too cheap.”
“Mr. Thornton?” Maxwell raised an eyebrow. “When you figure out the right way to address me, you can have the card.”
With that, he grabbed a pen from the holder and bent down to start reviewing the documents on his desk.
Lily stood in front of him for a few seconds, grinding her teeth in frustration. “Fine, how about I call you Chairman Thornton?”
“The sofa’s over there, take a seat and think about it.” Without looking up, Maxwell pointed toward the couch on the other side.
Lily stared daggers at him, wishing her gaze could shoot bullets and pierce holes all over his body. Was it really that hard to just say a simple word? What’s wrong with calling him “Mr. Thornton”? Isn’t that what last names are for? It’s a sign of respect! Or did he really want her to call him “Maxwell,” like Zelda Bennett does, in that overly sweet tone that makes my skin crawl?
On that note, Lily suddenly giggled. She turned to face the man behind the desk and, in a soft voice, teased, “Maxwell ~ Do you like it when I call you that?”
Maxwell’s whole body tensed, goosebumps rising. “Your voice sounds nice, but it’d sound even better in bed.”
“Oh, is that what Zelda Bennett calls you in bed? No wonder you finished so quickly the first time I touched you. I’d advise you to take it easy. Too much action, and you’ll end up impotent sooner or later. But if you listen to me, I could help you…”
Lily hadn’t finished her sentence when Maxwell suddenly stood up and strode over to her. Looking up at him, she felt her mouth go dry. “I was just joking! Don’t you think it’s funny?”
Maxwell’s expression was one of amusement, though his smile didn’t reach his eyes. “Do I look like I’m laughing?”
Lily, “…” Definitely not!
“We’ve done this enough times by now. Don’t you know what I’m capable of? Or maybe next time we’re in bed, you should try calling me that again, and we’ll see if I finish as fast as the first time?”
“There’s no need, Maxwell, you’re amazing, really. I know that! I was only kidding, just kidding.” Lily nervously wiped the sweat from her forehead, patting his chest with a flattering smile.
Maxwell seemed momentarily stunned, his face showing a hint of awkwardness. Then, he quickly handed her the bank card. “You can go now. I’ll have Ali move your things to my place.”
At that moment, Lily realized something: he liked being called Maxwell. Come to think of it, last time, while they were in bed, he had mumbled something about calling him “honey” or “hubby”… or something like that. But Lily hadn’t paid attention at the time; she was too out of it to care. She also knew that there was a woman—a very important woman—in Maxwell’s life. She was sure of it. That woman must have called him “Mr. Thornton” with affection.
But where was that woman now? Why weren’t they together? It wasn’t Lily’s concern. She just had to fulfill her role according to the contract, and in two months, she’d be free. That was enough for her.
Lily left the office, card in hand. Maxwell had mentioned that tomorrow was his brother’s birthday—Angus Thornton, the eldest son of the Thornton family. The social standing of this family was immense, and Lily figured there was no need to be frugal with the money in the Thornton Chairman’s bank account. She headed straight to the mall to buy the latest limited-edition evening gown.
There weren’t many chances to spend a rich man’s money, after all.
That afternoon, Ali helped Lily pack and move her things to Maxwell’s apartment. Ali, as it turned out, was painfully shy. When Lily tried to be friendly and patted him on the shoulder to thank him, his face turned as red as a tomato, making him seem more delicate than a girl.
After Ali left, Lily noticed something strange—the large, four-legged creature that Maxwell kept around was nowhere to be found. Without Jacky’s overly enthusiastic “welcome,” the place felt much more peaceful. Then again, Maxwell didn’t eat at home often, and when Lily opened the fridge, all she found were drinks. Not a single vegetable in sight.
Lily had planned to stop by the store to pick up some ingredients on her way to fetch Liam, but then Emily called. She said she had a few days off and wanted to take Liam on a little trip. Before Lily could refuse, Emily hung up, leaving her no choice. Now Lily had to go grocery shopping on her own. But just as she reached the door, it opened, and a middle-aged woman entered, holding a bag of groceries and a set of keys. She seemed surprised to see Lily.
“Are you the lady of the house?” she asked with a warm smile. She set the groceries down on the counter and turned to face Lily. “The young master likes these dishes. He asked me to deliver them to you and said to let you know that you can change or use anything in the house as you see fit—except for the room at the far left on the third floor. Other than that, you can choose whichever room you like.”
The woman finished speaking, gave a polite bow, and turned to leave.
Lily quickly called out, “Who are you?”
“I’m the housekeeper. I usually come by to clean and cook for the young master, but he told me that you would be taking care of those things from now on. I’ll just stop by occasionally to tidy up… Well, I have other errands to run, so I’ll be off.” And with that, the housekeeper left.
Lily stared at the ingredients on the kitchen counter, dumbfounded.
Maxwell, do you need a girlfriend, or a part-time housekeeper to manage your house 24/7?!