Chapter 84- vacation

Chapter 84: Chapter 84- vacation Whatever reaction Lilian might have, Morrison had clearly already predicted it. So he remained perfectly composed, sitting there calmly as if nothing had happened. "Let’s eat first," he said flatly. "We’ll talk after dinner." As if she could eat! Lilian sat stiffly at the table, too furious to even lift her chopsticks. Her appetite had been replaced entirely by a storm of frustration. Across from her, Morrison was eating at a leisurely pace—elegant, composed, completely unaffected. That just made her more pissed off. She grabbed her phone and powered it on. Fine. Since Karl had already told Linda they broke up over "incompatible values," she might as well face the music. Hiding wouldn’t change anything. As expected, the moment her phone lit up, it buzzed with a dozen missed calls. Karl. Linda. Her mother—Tiffany. Even Laurent. She stared at the names for a moment, then finally tapped on Laurent’s number and hit redial. Out of everyone, Laurent was the only one she felt she could talk to right now—someone who was both a friend and a kind of big sister. Maybe not the whole truth, but... at least some version of it. Laurent had already returned to A.T. Dave had taken their daughter along and followed her there. The call connected quickly. "Lilian? Are you okay? Why was your phone off all day?" Laurent’s voice was filled with concern. She was probably imagining that Lilian had locked herself in her room crying all day over a breakup. Because, as far as they knew, she and Karl had been dating. A breakup, even a peaceful one, would still hurt. "I’m fine..." Lilian replied softly. And she was—at least when it came to Karl. There had never been anything real between them, no affection, no heartbreak. It was all pretend. But with Morrison? She wasn’t fine at all. She was a mess of tangled emotions and regret and confusion. But how could she even begin to explain all that to Laurent? How could she say out loud that she had once asked Morrison to teach her how to fall in love? That they’d dated in secret for half a year. That now... she had slept with him. If her brother ever found out, she’d die a hundred deaths. So she kept it all inside. Laurent, thinking Lilian was simply heartbroken, launched into a warm and sympathetic monologue. She said everything one might say to a friend going through a breakup. Then, just before hanging up, she added, "Your brother wants to talk to you." Lilian stiffened immediately. Her whole body tensed up. And then she heard Dave’s voice on the line—stern, direct, and clearly annoyed. "Come on, Lilian. Three-legged toads are hard to find, but two-legged men are everywhere. Was it really worth shutting yourself off over one guy?" So that’s what they all thought. They believed she’d spent the day in the dark, crying over Karl. That she couldn’t handle the breakup and had shut off her phone to wallow in despair. ...Fine. Let them think that. If that’s what it took to keep the fake relationship cover intact, then she’d play along. Better to be seen as heartbroken than to have anyone discover what was really going on. "Come spend a few days in A.T.," Dave said warmly. "There are plenty of good men here—I’ll introduce you to some." The idea of introducing men might have been just talk, but the invitation for Lilian to come to A.T. was genuine. Dave figured that after a breakup, staying cooped up in Burg Eltz would only make her feel worse. He wanted her to get away and clear her head—a thoughtful move from an older brother. "To A.T.? That sounds great!" Lilian’s eyes lit up instantly, her previous gloom lifting. A.T. was a beautiful coastal city she’d always wanted to visit, famous for its fresh seafood. The thought of indulging in a delicious seafood feast excited her. But then, a cold glance from the man sitting across from her quickly dampened her enthusiasm. She sighed, conflicted. "But it’s not vacation time now. If I go to A.T., I’ll need to take leave, and my boss... might not approve it." She wasn’t a carefree student anymore—she worked at MOS Corp. Now, every day off required approval, climbing through layers of bureaucracy. And deep down, Lilian knew the man across from her wouldn’t let her slip away to A.T. so easily. Her brother’s invitation to take a break was based on the assumption that she was heartbroken over Karl. And she wanted to go, too. But her real reason for wanting to escape was to get away from Morrison. Only now did she remember she worked under him. If he refused her leave, there was nowhere for her to run. She suddenly regretted not accepting Bert’s earlier invitation to go back to Washington Co.—things would be so much easier if she wasn’t stuck working under Morrison. Dave’s voice came through again, reassuring. "No worries. I’ll just call Morrison and give him a heads-up." "Just pack your bags and be ready to come." Then he added with a laugh, "Actually, you don’t even need to pack. Just show up. Your favorite fashion store, Show, is headquartered here. Laurent will take you shopping for new clothes and everything." Show was a trendy boutique that every woman adored these days. Lilian’s eyes welled up with tears. Of course, her brother was the only one who truly cared about her. All other men were just passing clouds. After ending the call with Dave, Lilian felt lighter—her mood brightened noticeably. But then Morrison’s phone rang. Lilian instantly snapped to attention, sitting upright. That call was definitely from Dave. Sure enough, Morrison glanced at her briefly before answering with a sharp tone full of mock bitterness: "The Lord of Washington himself? What brings you to bother me today?" Morrison was still angry about Dave stepping down from Washington Co. Back when Dave was in charge, they had collaborated on several major projects—successful ones at that. Over the years, Morrison had developed a picky taste; aside from Dave, he refused to work with anyone else and looked down on their abilities. So it was no surprise that Dave’s resignation had irritated Morrison greatly, especially now that Dave had gone off with Laurent to A.T. To Morrison, Dave was nothing more than a husband and father obsessed with his wife and daughter. Sometimes, Morrison consoled himself with the thought: what use was a man like Dave, who had lost his fighting spirit? If he wanted to leave, then so be it. Dave chuckled on the other end. "How many barrels of vinegar did you drink today? The sourness is unbearable." Morrison’s gaze darkened as he looked at Lilian, then he replied smoothly, continuing Dave’s teasing. "I’ve been drowning in vinegar nearly every day lately. You have no idea—it almost killed me." Then he added with a grin: "But now, I’m finally out of that sour pit." While saying this, Morrison kept staring at Lilian, making her flush with irritation. His words were clearly a jab—mocking her recent "relationship" with Karl that had made him jealous. Hmph. He sure knew how to twist his words. Lilian thought he was just talking nonsense, but Dave on the other end dismissed Morrison’s rambling and got straight to the point. "You should know by now that Lilian and your brother have broken up, so I want her to come to A.T. for a while to clear her head. You should approve her leave." Morrison chuckled softly. Of course, he already knew—after all, he was the mastermind behind their breakup. Seeing Morrison silent, Dave explained further: "You know how she’s been protected all her life, never really hurt. It’s no wonder she’s struggling to handle this breakup." "Breakup?" Morrison let out a sly laugh, casting a mischievous glance at Lilian. "She hasn’t broken up at all. She and Karl were clearly—" Lilian panicked, fearing he would expose their fake relationship. She rushed over, covering his mouth with her hand, silently pleading with her eyes for him to keep quiet. Morrison’s eyes twinkled with amusement. Gently removing her hand, he pulled her into his embrace and lifted her onto his lap. There, holding her close, he continued the call with Dave. Lilian felt a mix of awkwardness and helplessness but dared not protest—especially not with Dave on the other end of the line.