Chapter 141- insurmountable

Chapter 141: Chapter 141- insurmountable As for Karl, he wasn’t hiding away to cry. Instead, he was secretly calling his classmates in computer science, asking them to dig up every bit of information about Marylin. After all, once he decided to pursue her, he needed to know everything—so he could find the perfect opening. Meanwhile, at the table with Morrison and Linda... Linda had been quietly chatting with a few familiar business executives when Mos suddenly leaned in and whispered, "Our Karl seems to have fallen in love." "What?" Linda exclaimed, startled, drawing curious glances from the table. She quickly apologized and then leaned closer to Mos, whispering, "What are you talking about?" Thinking she must have misheard, Mos repeated carefully, "I said Karl is in love. The girl? The one in the red dress at that table over there." Having been scolded before for failing to notice the tension between Morrison and Lilian, Mos had learned his lesson. As soon as he sensed something unusual in his younger son, he reported it immediately. He couldn’t help but notice the resemblance to his own youth. At a similar banquet, he had fallen for Linda at first sight. The way Karl gazed at the girl in red mirrored his own expression decades ago. Mos was certain—his son had fallen head over heels. Linda’s heart skipped a beat. Her two sons either never realized anything—or both suddenly fell in love at the same time. It was all too sudden to feel real. She quickly turned to glance at Marylin and her friends’ table. Meanwhile, Morrison’s attention was glued to Lilian at the main table. But sitting across from him, BERT seemed determined to prevent him from focusing, chatting incessantly in a way that tested Morrison’s patience. At first, Morrison tried to respond politely, but eventually gave up and ignored him completely. BERT seemed to thrive on being irritating, always finding new ways to provoke. Lilian remained poised at the head table, attending to Washington’s elder with impeccable grace, serving tea and smiling with effortless elegance. Her every move embodied the refinement of a true lady, and every fleeting glance left Morrison momentarily spellbound. Halfway through the banquet, Morrison noticed Lilian fiddling with her phone. Soon after, a call came from a friend at the airport. "Hey, Morrison, something’s off. Isn’t Dave’s son having a baby shower right now? How come your little girlfriend bought a ticket to fly back to the U.S. this afternoon?" "What?" Morrison’s face darkened instantly. So that’s what she had been doing on her phone—booking a flight? This woman... she really was ruthless! Barely back for a few days, and already planning to leave! After Linda returned from her little reconnaissance and whispered what she had learned, Morrison felt his temper spike. Lilian hadn’t said whether she’d stay in the U.S. or not. He hadn’t expected her to stay forever, but surely... she would remain a few days after the baby shower before leaving, right? Yet she... Morrison ground his teeth, speechless. The frustration was practically suffocating him. On the other end, his friend asked, "So, what’s the plan now?" Morrison glanced at BERT’s smug expression across the table, then grabbed his phone and walked away. Quietly, he instructed his friend, "Book me a seat next to her as well." "Got it!" his friend responded cheerfully, then grinned, "Good luck winning her back, man. Make sure to invite us to the wedding, okay?" Morrison hung up immediately. Seriously... what kind of friends are these, always saying the wrong thing at the worst possible moment? He did want to win her back as soon as possible, but looking at her carefree demeanor now... it was infuriating. For the latter half of the banquet, Morrison deliberately clashed with BERT over a trivial matter and stood to leave—though in reality, he was just going to sort out his luggage. As for Lilian, she was completely unhurried. She had already packed her things in advance, the suitcase sitting neatly in the back of BERT’s car, ready for a swift exit straight to the airport once the banquet ended. BERT, however, wouldn’t be going with her this time. He planned to stay behind in BURG ELTZ for some site visits and to scope out a good location for setting up a new studio. If BERT stayed in BURG ELTZ to set up a studio, it would mean gradually shifting his work focus back to the domestic front. And if BERT returned to the country, Lilian would inevitably have to come back too. Over the past year in the U.S., it had been BERT’s companionship that made her stay bearable. Without him, Lilian wouldn’t want to be alone in America. As the banquet neared its end, Karl finally received the dossier his classmates had compiled on Marylin. Every bit of information, public or otherwise, had been dug up. Marylin—twenty-nine, a year older than him. Indeed, she was older. But Karl didn’t care. He trusted his parents wouldn’t either; after all, Linda was two years older than Morrison. Marylin had graduated from the same university as Laurent and the others. She was now a senior translator. This information thrilled Karl. Just as he had suspected, she was the type of woman with substance; her grace and poise revealed it in every gesture. How could he ever be attracted to someone who was merely beautiful without any depth? Of course, there were also some pieces of news that annoyed him. The dossier showed that Marylin had just officially resigned a few days ago. In other words, she was currently unemployed. Karl had initially worried that being in different cities would complicate things—he might have had to quit his own academic post and move to Manchester for her. But now... she had already quit. Even more strikingly, the reason for her resignation was revealed: she had been involved with a superior for a year, only to find out that he was secretly married and had been pretending to be single at work all along. The reason for her resignation made Karl frown for a moment, but almost immediately, his expression softened. He admired her decisiveness. To give up such a prestigious position in Manchester , with such a high salary, just like that—it took a woman of true character to act so resolutely. She was someone who could take and let go, bold yet unwavering. If she had stayed despite discovering her year-long partner had a family, or continued entangling herself with him, Karl would have truly questioned her character. Instead, thanks to that scumbag who deceived her for a year, she had left her high-paying job in Beijing so easily. And now, since she had returned to Burg Eltz, walking straight into his line of sight... Karl knew he would never let her slip away again. Having absorbed all the details about her life, he felt confident as he returned to the banquet hall. After the baby shower ended, Lilian accompanied her brother, sister-in-law, and parents to see off the guests. Once everything was quiet, she bid farewell to her family. She had returned a few days earlier, spent time with them, and filled in the small void left by her imminent departure back to the U.S. Tiffany and the others already knew about her plans to leave today, so no one tried to stop her. Dave had to stay behind to care for Laurent and the baby, leaving BERT to accompany Lilian to the airport. On the way, BERT felt uneasy. By Morrison’s usual habits, he would have done everything possible to cling to Lilian. Yet, since walking out midway through the banquet after a disagreement, Morrison hadn’t appeared at all. A chilling thought struck BERT. Morrison must have found out Lilian was leaving. Perhaps he was already at the airport, waiting for her. Frustration boiled in BERT’s chest. He prided himself on his strategic mind, yet this time, Morrison had outmaneuvered him. During the banquet, the two had clashed over a point of view. Morrison’s abrupt departure had seemed trivial—maybe he had gone to the restroom or simply refused to stay—but in reality, Morrison had acted deliberately. Hearing BERT curse under his breath, Lilian asked, concerned, "What’s wrong?" She couldn’t have imagined what BERT was thinking, only noting that something had clearly angered him. BERT hesitated, then finally said lightly, "Nothing." He wanted to persuade Lilian to cancel the flight, but that would have delayed a photoshoot for the U.S. promotional campaign—plans that had been set long in advance. So, he could only grit his teeth and let her take the flight. At the airport, after saying goodbye to BERT, Lilian went through security. He wanted to tell her to watch out for Morrison, but he hesitated, afraid of upsetting her. Instead, he only reminded her to call upon arrival. More than a year ago, Lilian had struggled with leaving home alone. Now, she was used to it. In the past year, she had traveled across the U.S.—sometimes for work, sometimes for leisure, sometimes with BERT, sometimes alone. She realized that many things were not insurmountable. Once you got used to them, they became ordinary. She had gotten used to not loving someone, not caring for someone, getting used to being alone—and in doing so, there was no longer any lingering emotion.