Chapter 35- trouble

Chapter 35: Chapter 35- trouble Morrison went to the kitchen to cook, telling Lilian to watch some TV or browse the internet by herself for a while. But Lilian felt a bit awkward just sitting around while he was busy, so she said she wanted to help. Morrison wasn’t about to let her get her hands dirty, but since she insisted, he could only let her. Because they needed to wash the vegetables, Lilian took off her wristwatch and casually placed it on a nearby cabinet before stepping into the kitchen to help. Morrison was dressed in a light gray home outfit, standing in the bright and warm kitchen, calmly and skillfully working. His handsome face was focused, as if the knife and the vegetables in his hands were alive, and what he was doing was carefully crafting them with heart and soul. That was the scene Lilian saw when she walked in — a scene with a deadly charm that made her heart race wildly. He was already incredibly attractive, and on top of that, he could cook... Lilian felt herself falling for him, quietly leaning against the kitchen doorframe, watching him expertly wash and chop vegetables, her eyes full of admiration for his charming figure. Sensing her presence, Morrison tilted his head and gave her a glance, then smiled softly. "What are you doing? Didn’t you say you wanted to help?" That smile was dazzling, making Lilian’s eyes nearly go blurry, but she quickly regained her composure. "Oh," she said awkwardly, stepping in to help. Since she had almost no experience with these tasks, her movements were clumsy. Morrison couldn’t help but walk over and teach her. Standing behind her, he wrapped his slender arms around her small frame, holding her close as he guided her. This close posture made Lilian feel quite embarrassed. She struggled to break free, but he trapped her with his arm so she couldn’t move. Leaning down, he kissed her cheek and warned her in a low voice: "Don’t move, or I’ll eat you first." That single sentence made her stop struggling immediately. She obediently stayed in his arms. It was the sound of the doorbell ringing outside that finally freed Lilian from his fiery embrace. Hearing the bell, Morrison released her, dried his hands, and went to answer the door. Lilian nervously followed behind, asking, "Who could it be? Should I hide first?" They were still keeping their relationship secret, and getting caught now would be trouble. Morrison frowned. "Could it be my mom?" His first thought was indeed Linda. He guessed maybe she wasn’t satisfied with just sending someone to spy on him, so she came personally. The moment Lilian heard it might be his mom, her face instantly filled with panic. Morrison comforted her, "Don’t panic. I’ll go check. Maybe it’s not her." Then he walked to the entrance and looked at the video intercom. After a glance, he came back, his handsome face serious and tense. "More terrifying than my mom." Lilian was so shocked she barely managed to ask, "Who... who is it?" "Your brother." Morrison threw two words at Lilian, and she instantly panicked. She covered her face, stunned for a moment, then paced back and forth in front of Morrison, quietly asking in a small voice, "What do I do? What do I do?" "What am I supposed to do now? If he sees me, I’m doomed!" Why did it have to be her brother! Morrison raised his hand, grabbed her slender wrist, pulled her into his arms, and held her close to calm her down. Then he calmly ordered, "I’ll handle him. You go hide in the bedroom upstairs." Lilian thought there was no other choice, so she nodded and quickly ran upstairs. At first, she went into Morrison’s master bedroom, but feeling it was too intimate, she quickly left and randomly picked the next room over. Morrison glanced at where she hid, then calmly went to open the door for Dave. Morrison thought Dave would just stop by briefly with something to say and then leave. But unexpectedly, Dave had been emotionally hurt by Laurent and came here seeking comfort. While Morrison pretended to console his friend, inside he was deeply frustrated. This was the first time Morrison had invited a girl home, hoping after a satisfying meal something might naturally happen — but Dave completely ruined it. After pouring his heart out, Dave said he wanted to rest here for a while, and without waiting for Morrison’s response, he headed upstairs. For the first time in his life, Morrison felt nervous — his heart almost jumped out of his chest. Especially when Dave went upstairs, his eyes paused briefly on Lilian’s watch sitting on a nearby cabinet. That glance made Morrison freeze completely. Fortunately, Dave was so deeply down that he didn’t have the energy to pay close attention to the watch—he just glanced at it and continued upstairs. Morrison was about to breathe a sigh of relief when he saw Dave nearly push open the door to the bedroom where Lilian was hiding. His heart jumped to his throat again, and he immediately called out to Dave, making an excuse that the room was under renovation and asking him to go to another bedroom. Only after Dave finally settled in his room did Morrison relax a little. He tiptoed quietly to the bedroom where the young girl was, finding her with a face full of anxiety. The moment she saw him, she hurriedly whispered, "I better leave now. If my brother finds out, I’m finished." Morrison couldn’t bear to let her go—not just because this was a rare chance to be alone with her, but also because of all the food he was preparing in the kitchen, which he wasn’t about to let go to waste. He pulled her into his arms to soothe her, "He won’t find out. He’ll probably fall asleep soon." But the girl was thoroughly scared and insisted on leaving, "No, no, that’s too risky. As long as he’s in this villa, I can’t relax." Before Morrison could say more, she clung to his sleeve and pleaded pitifully, "Ever since he divorced Laurent, my brother’s been in such a bad mood. I really don’t want him to know about us now—I don’t want to upset him anymore..." Then she added, "And now that he’s here, I can’t even enjoy your cooking. That would be a waste of all your hard work. So let’s postpone this—just for today, okay?" With such a sensible girl, what could Morrison say? "Alright, stay here a while. I’ll check on your brother. You can leave once he’s completely asleep." Morrison agreed, knowing she was right. With Dave, a ticking time bomb, in the house, neither of them could relax. No matter what, he wouldn’t let Dave find out about Lilian now. Next door, Dave really seemed crushed—his whole body heavy and dazed, as if drained of energy. Morrison had known Dave for years but had never seen him like this. He could only sigh—his friend was truly caught in Laurent’s grip. Dave had kept saying he didn’t love her, but deep down, he cared more than anyone. Unfortunately, by the time he realized how deeply rooted his feelings were, it was already too late. Watching Dave slowly fall asleep, Morrison quietly closed the door. He hoped that when Dave finally woke up, it wouldn’t be too late to fix things. After confirming Dave was asleep, Lilian packed up to leave. Before she went out, Morrison reminded her to take his watch. He wanted to drive her home, but Lilian refused, "My brother’s mood is so bad—you should stay home. Besides, I want to visit Laurent and Emma at the hospital first..." Lilian had heard from Morrison everything that Dave had gone through—how today Emma Washington was almost taken away by someone, and in protecting Emma, Laurent’s father got injured and was hospitalized. All of this was orchestrated by Dave’s first love, Clark, which completely destroyed Dave’s image in Laurent’s eyes. That was why Dave was so downcast. At the entrance, just as the young girl was about to leave, Morrison pulled her back, wrapped her in his arms, and kissed her. The date didn’t happen as planned, but a kiss to make up for it was still something. Lilian finally blushed deeply from the kiss and ran off. After seeing Lilian off, Morrison returned to his kitchen, looked at the pile of ingredients, and silently put them back into the fridge one by one. Even though he had a heartbroken friend at home, he just couldn’t summon the enthusiasm to cook a meal for Dave. While putting the food away, Morrison thought quietly to himself: truly, only this girl was worthy of him personally cooking for her. Dave stayed at Morrison’s place for the night, and the next morning when Morrison went to work, Dave was still asleep. Morrison didn’t check on him and just left for the office. Later, Dave called him about the watch incident. Morrison could only laugh it off, saying Dave must have seen it wrong. Dave was silent for a moment on the other end before hanging up—probably thinking he was just too emotional the day before and had imagined things. Morrison and Lilian’s secret relationship continued quietly until the end of the year, lasting a full six months. During those six months, they dated just like any normal couple, living through the ordinary ups and downs—except they never slept together. Morrison eventually showed the young girl his cooking skills, and from then on, most of their dates were at his home—not for any other reason, but simply because Lilian loved his cooking and wanted to eat his food. Morrison was more than happy to oblige. His home offered more privacy, making it harder for others to discover them, and it was more convenient for intimate moments, like kissing. But it never went beyond kissing.