Chapter 89- Peacefully

Chapter 89: Chapter 89- Peacefully Because of the sudden breakup with Karl, Tiffany had told her to come home early. So, the next morning, Lilian and Morrison set off in the car, heading back. Lilian leaned listlessly against her seat the whole way. Even though he hadn’t touched her after their nighttime walk—letting her get a decent night’s sleep—for some reason, the moment dawn broke, he turned into a complete beast. She’d been half-asleep when she felt him wrap around her from behind. His body pressed firmly against hers—and even someone as inexperienced as she was knew exactly what that meant. His lips were hot against the back of her neck, trailing kisses that sent little shivers across her skin. She tried to squirm away, mumbling that she just wanted to sleep, but he only whispered at her ear in that deep, coaxing voice. "Go ahead and sleep... I’ll be quick... you won’t even feel it." She should have known better. Once things started, it was never just about him. Soon enough, she was fully awake—tossed around the bed, twisted into who-knew-how-many positions. And worse, she couldn’t even blame him entirely—because her body responded. Fully. Shamefully. By the end, they were both drenched in sweat, tangled in sheets and each other. As they lay there, catching their breath, he brushed a kiss against the corner of her mouth and murmured: "Move back in with me." She shook her head weakly. "No... don’t force me. If my mom finds out, I’m dead." The truth was—she didn’t dare. Not because she didn’t feel something for him. But because she wasn’t sure what that "something" was. And if she wasn’t even sure about her own heart, how could she possibly face her parents with it? One word of disapproval from them, and she might waver completely. And she doubted Morrison’s heart was all that steady either. But Morrison didn’t seem fazed at all. "If they find out," he said, "we’ll just admit it." She panicked a little more. "But... they’ll never approve of you..." He paused, then rolled off her with a sigh, not pushing her further. "Then we’ll start by rebuilding what we had," he said. "You and me—privately." He knew perfectly well that his past reputation was beyond terrible, especially in the eyes of her family. If this was going to work, he had to prove himself—not just to her, but to them. She hadn’t expected him to give in so easily. And only after he said it did she realize something else: She’d been so busy arguing about living together... That somewhere along the way, she’d said yes. To him. To being with him again. Damn it. She turned to glare at him—only to see that smug, foxlike grin spreading across his face, eyes narrowing in triumph like some sly beast who’d just caught his prey. She huffed, turning her back to him and refusing to say another word. And now, thanks to their "morning workout," she barely had any energy left. At some point during the drive, Morrison grabbed his jacket from the back seat and handed it to her. "Cover up and get some sleep," he said casually. "Don’t want your mom thinking you’re looking this worn out from heartbreak." There was teasing in his tone, but also something else—an unspoken reminder of exactly why she was this tired in the first place. The memory of it made her cheeks burn. Unable to take his smugness any longer, she yanked the jacket over her head to block him out and tried to sleep. But the moment the fabric brushed her face, his scent hit her like a wave—sharp, masculine, intoxicating. That scent... the one he carried every time he touched her... every time he moved above her, breath hot and uneven... sweat dripping against her skin... Her chest tightened. She couldn’t breathe. Flustered, she yanked the jacket away and sucked in a breath of air like she’d just surfaced from underwater. Morrison shot her a glance from the driver’s seat, raising a brow. "Didn’t you say you were gonna sleep?" Lilian wasn’t about to admit what had actually popped into her head—that vivid, heat-stained image of him pressed against her, breath hot against her skin. Instead, she just mumbled, "Just... can’t sleep," and brushed it off. Still, somewhere during the ride, fatigue overtook her, and she dozed off until the car rolled to a stop—right in front of Tiffany’s place. Tiffany hadn’t moved back to the old family estate yet. Daniel didn’t seem to mind—in fact, he seemed to rather enjoy it. He said it felt like they were dating again, like teenagers sneaking around with butterflies in their stomachs. That thrill, the daily anticipation—something they’d never really experienced when they were younger and too tangled in responsibility. Lilian was about to get out of the car when Morrison suddenly reached out, grabbing her wrist. "You coming back to your own place tonight?" There was a familiar, dangerous glint in his eyes. She knew exactly what he meant. To him, once the line had been crossed, there was no going back. He’d already tasted her, claimed her—why would he ever want to spend a night without her again? If she went back to her apartment, he’d follow. No doubt about that. And Lilian, knowing this man far too well, immediately refused—loud and clear. "No. My mom definitely won’t let me go. She probably thinks I’m heartbroken and needs to spend the night comforting me." And with that, she grabbed her things and bolted—nearly tripping in her haste to get away. Morrison could only watch as she fled, lips twitching with frustration and something close to amusement. Then he turned the car around and drove off. He had his own reckoning to deal with. Karl and the rest had already returned to the Mo family estate. Karl was probably getting chewed out by Linda right now, and Morrison—being the "responsible older brother" who took them on this trip—had also been summoned. Linda would definitely have questions. How did he let the perfect couple break up on his watch? Of course, if she ever found out that he was the very reason for that breakup... she’d probably have him disowned. When Lilian stepped into the apartment, Daniel was already there. Panic jolted through her. There was no way she could say it was Morrison who dropped her off. "I rode back with one of Karl’s friends," she lied smoothly. Tiffany eyed her from head to toe, concern written all over her face. "What happened, sweetheart? You and Karl seemed perfectly fine before the trip..." Lilian had already prepared her explanation on the way back, rehearsing it line by line. She put on her calmest face and began, "Things like this... they’re hard to explain. Sometimes, when all you do is eat out, go on dates, everything seems fine. But when you actually spend time together—travel, live side by side—you realize your habits, values, even your ways of handling things... just don’t match." She let out a gentle sigh. "So we decided to break up. Peacefully." She emphasized that word like a badge of honor. Tiffany looked like she wanted to argue—but couldn’t find the words. Instead, she just sighed. "That’s such a shame. I really liked Karl." Before the awkward silence could stretch further, Daniel chimed in cheerfully, "It’s alright. She’s still young. There’ll be someone better in the future." He turned to Lilian, giving her a warm, fatherly smile. "So don’t be too sad, okay? I’ll even ask around, see if I can find someone even more suitable." Lilian nodded, forcing a smile—while inwardly groaning. Another matchmaking cycle was about to begin. And the man she was secretly involved with... was literally the last person on earth they would approve of.