Chapter 117- She deserved it.

Chapter 117: Chapter 117- She deserved it. Laurent’s eyes caught the movement out of the corner of his eye, and he spoke gently, "Go ahead... have one. It’s alright." He knew Dave was hurting right now and needed some way to vent. "No..." Dave closed his eyes and leaned back against the seat, refusing to light a cigarette. Instead, guilt weighed heavily on him as he muttered, "This is all my fault... I was so caught up in myself, I didn’t notice Lilian and him together sooner. If I had seen it earlier... stopped it sooner... she wouldn’t have fallen so deeply—" Laurent reached over with a comforting tone, "Don’t blame yourself. None of us expected them to be together." They were from completely different worlds. No one had imagined they’d actually get involved, which was why no one had paid attention to their subtle interactions. Lilian and Morrison had hidden everything perfectly. Dave fell silent, words failing him. Later, he called Bert to check on Lilian. Bert’s voice on the other end was icy, "Hear it for yourself." Then he put the call on speaker. From the phone came the soft, fragmented sound of a girl crying—not wailing, just quiet sobs that went on and on. Dave’s heart broke listening to it. Fury surged through him, and he slammed the phone down. At that moment, Bert had taken Lilian back to his place. He had drawn her a bath, cooked her a meal, and made sure everything was arranged for her comfort. But when he returned to the room where she was supposed to rest, he found her curled up on the carpet by the bed, silently crying. The white gown he had designed for her was now smudged and dirty. Her carefully styled hair was disheveled, makeup streaked, and her delicate shoulders rose and fell with each sob. Bert’s face darkened to its deepest shadow. Just then, Dave called again. Bert put the call on speaker so Dave could hear as well. At that moment, Bert even felt anger toward Dave. If not for his unfortunate acquaintance with Morrison, Lilian would never have crossed paths with him, and none of this would have happened. Lilian’s mind was completely blank. She wasn’t thinking about her relationship with Morrison, but the pain was still unbearable. Tears streamed down uncontrollably, perhaps because the wounds he had inflicted moments ago had already seeped deep into her very soul. Even if she tried not to think, the pain was there—real and unrelenting. During the first half-year of their relationship, she hadn’t truly fallen for him. She had treated it as a simple lesson in love. But once things became physical, she had given him her heart entirely... Now, she didn’t even recognize the feeling of pain. Her heart was numb. After loving so deeply and being wounded so completely, her heart was a ruin of shattered pieces. The words "We’re breaking up" cut through her like a blade, but no tears could match the depth of the ache already rooted inside. Bert watched her quietly, sorrow twisting inside him, but he didn’t dare disturb her. The wounds in her heart needed a way to vent, and at this moment, tears seemed like the best outlet. Stepping out of Lilian’s bedroom, Bert paced outside with a dark expression, plotting how to deal with Morrison. In terms of brute force, he didn’t need to act—Dave had already rushed back and would confront Morrison himself. Bert’s role now wasn’t to fight, but to make Morrison suffer in a different way. He pulled out his phone and called his assistant, ignoring the late hour. Half-asleep on the other end, the assistant picked up, and Bert ordered without preamble, "Cancel all collaborations with MOS Corp. No matter the cost, cancel everything." The assistant hesitated, asking why, but Bert didn’t answer and simply hung up. Bert was a man driven by emotion, his personality laced with ruthlessness and obsessive streaks. During Dave’s tenure, Washington Co. had several projects in collaboration with Morrison. Now, with everything canceled, Morrison would face massive losses. Of course, Washington Co. would also take a hit—but Bert didn’t care. This was his style: even if both sides suffered, he would act regardless of the consequences. The only goal was to make Morrison pay. Time passed, though Bert had lost all sense of it, until finally, the soft sound of Lilian’s sobs quieted. He pushed the door open again. Lilian was still on the carpet, dabbing at her tear-streaked face with tissues. Seeing him, she offered a small, embarrassed smile, "Sorry, Bert... you had to see me like this." She hadn’t expected her most vulnerable moment to be witnessed by her half-brother, but now she felt grateful. If it weren’t for him, she might have had nowhere to go in that state. Her eyes were red, her nose flushed—but even in this disheveled state, she smiled. She tried to put on a brave front, pretending everything was fine. Bert’s heart ached. Her attempt at composure was even more heartbreaking than her tears. He walked over, sat down beside her on the carpet, and asked softly, "Feeling better now?" Lilian nodded lightly, "Yes... better." Then she smiled again, "It’s really no big deal, right? It’s just a breakup. Nobody’s dying over it." Bert had prepared countless words to comfort her, but he hadn’t expected her to be so composed, so effortlessly at ease. For a moment, he didn’t know what to say, just stared at her with a dark, protective gaze. Sometimes, the deeper the pain, the more one seemed calm. Pain to its extreme became numbness. Sensing Bert’s worry, Lilian smiled once more, "You really don’t have to worry about me. I’m fine." And she truly was. After that flood of tears, she felt a little lighter. She bore no resentment, no hatred. This game of love had been started by her—if she hadn’t approached him and asked him to teach her about love, none of this would have happened. None of the heartbreak, none of the lessons... not today’s breakup. In the end, it was all her own doing, wasn’t it? She deserved it. It was nothing extraordinary—just a total despair toward love and marriage. She shouldn’t have sparked any hope in the first place. Now, ending up in this state was nothing but her own doing, a humiliation she brought upon herself. She said all these big philosophical things to comfort herself, and Bert had nothing to argue with. So he decided to change the subject. "Since you’ve come to terms with it, why don’t you take a shower? Put on something clean, then we’ll have something to eat." Lilian nodded, but then hesitated a little, "But I didn’t bring any pajamas... it’s a bit inconvenient." Bert got up and stepped out briefly. When he returned, he handed her a set of women’s cotton pajamas. Lilian looked at them in surprise, "How... how do you have women’s—uh, pajamas here?" He was a single man, wasn’t he? And she’d never heard of him having a girlfriend. Bert cleared his throat lightly, a little awkward, "Just go take a shower. We’ll eat afterward." He didn’t answer her question and turned to leave, but Lilian called out, "Bert..." He glanced back at her, "Yes? Something else?" For a moment, a flash of what Bert perceived as resolve crossed her normally pale, worn-out face. Then she spoke softly, "You’re going back to the U.S. in a few days, right? Take me with you. I want to go out, see the world, and learn a bit." Bert didn’t hesitate and agreed immediately, "Alright." Actually, he had already considered this while standing outside earlier—bringing Lilian away. And now, with her own request, it was perfect timing. Going to the U.S. with him, far from all this drama, far from that man named Morrison, would help her heal her heart faster. "Thank you," Lilian said with a smile before stepping into the bathroom.