Chapter 93- Relax

Chapter 93: Chapter 93- Relax Linda spotted Lilian and her parents standing there. She hesitated for a moment, then quickly walked over to greet them. "Lilian? Tiffany?" "Oh my, what a surprise to see you here!" With her son having broken up with Lilian, Linda hadn’t given up hope. She’d been planning to find a chance to talk to Tiffany again — and now here they were, just like that. Tiffany smiled and explained, "Lilian invited us out to dinner tonight, so we came here. She said she’s been here before, and the food’s really good." Lilian’s face turned painfully awkward. She noticed Morrison shooting her a subtle glance — this was the place he’d taken her before... "Our family is having dinner here tonight too. Morrison is treating us." Linda quickly filled them in on their side of things, then took the opportunity to invite them, "Well, since we’ve all run into each other, why don’t we just eat together? It’s fate, isn’t it?" Linda’s smile was wide and bright as she linked arms with Tiffany, speaking warmly, "This just means the bond between our families isn’t broken." Her words carried a hint — a nod toward the situation between Karl and Lilian. As she spoke, she glanced toward her youngest son. Karl, feeling a bit guilty, slipped behind Morrison, trying to shrink into the background, hoping his mom would focus more on Morrison instead. Morrison scoffed quietly in his mind at his mother. Yeah, the bond between the families might not break — but it definitely had nothing to do with your youngest son. When Lilian heard Linda’s invitation to dine together, she felt like she wanted to disappear. She desperately hoped her mother wouldn’t agree. But she also knew Tiffany was the kind who hated to offend others, and Linda was just way too enthusiastic... Sure enough, Tiffany accepted Linda’s offer, and the two families ended up sharing dinner together. So the whole group went inside and reserved a bigger private room. When the seating was arranged, Linda made sure Karl sat right next to Lilian, hoping the two could talk things over and maybe patch things up. She just couldn’t believe that two young people who’d gotten along so well could break up just because of one outing. Karl slid into the seat beside Lilian under Morrison’s intimidating glare. What could he do? It was their mom’s plan, and he was innocent here. He silently begged his brother to stop giving him that look — it felt like a cold breeze was blowing right on his forehead. When the waiter came over with the menus, Morrison passed his menu to Lilian with a knowing smile. "Since Lilian’s been here before, she should know what’s good. Let her order." Lilian was mortified. Did he really have to remind everyone so deliberately that he was the one who brought her here last time? Linda chimed in, "Exactly! Since Lilian’s tried the food, she should pick the dishes." Lilian had no choice but to take the menu and pick a few dishes she remembered liking from last time. But that wasn’t nearly enough for all seven of them, so the menu quickly made its way back to Morrison, who added a few more dishes himself. Originally, Morrison had planned to let the four elders from both families—the Mo parents and the Burg Eltz parents—choose, since they were the guests of honor. But all four said they’d eat anything and left the decision to him, so he took the menu back. Morrison sat there, eyes lowered, studying the menu. His sharply defined handsome face and the strong, quiet leadership aura he radiated naturally drew a few extra glances from those around the table. Daniel and Tiffany, who didn’t often interact much with Morrison, hadn’t really looked at him closely before. Even when they had, it was usually in passing, hurried moments—not like now, where they could really observe him. Even that morning when Morrison stopped by, their exchange was casual and quick. Mostly, it was because Morrison’s presence was so overwhelming that people found it hard to stare at him for too long. Every time Morrison chose a dish, Lilian’s heart sped up — because almost every dish was one of her favorites. She worried her parents might start to notice. What could it mean when a man kept ordering all the dishes his girlfriend loved? Looking around, everyone at the table seemed to be enjoying the dinner—everyone except her. She was practically suffering, sitting there like she was on pins and needles. She had wanted this to be a nice meal for her parents, but now it was all a mess. Finally, after Morrison finished ordering, Lilian quietly breathed a sigh of relief. While waiting for the food, Daniel chatted with Mr. Mo, Linda talked with Tiffany, Karl sat awkwardly next to Lilian doing nothing, and Morrison smoked alone in a corner. Through the curling smoke, Lilian could catch his gaze drifting toward her every now and then, which only made her feel more trapped. Linda was multitasking—chatting with Tiffany while constantly shooting Karl meaningful looks, silently telling him to talk more to Lilian and try to rebuild their connection. Karl wanted to cry. He was about to make a run for it when Morrison stubbed out his cigarette and politely said, "Sorry, I’m going to the restroom." Then he got up and left. Karl finally felt some relief. He knew Morrison would call Lilian out soon enough. Sure enough, Lilian’s phone buzzed shortly after. She pulled it out and frowned, troubled by the message. But in the end, she used the restroom as an excuse and got up to leave. No one would suspect a thing. To cover for them, Karl followed right behind Lilian. It looked like he was chasing after her, which shifted the parents’ attention away from the two of them. How thoughtful of him — please call him Burg Eltz’s little brother. As Karl stepped out, he saw Morrison pull Lilian into his arms just around the corner, the faint scent of smoke lingering on him. Leaning casually against the wall with one leg bent, Morrison held her effortlessly in his strong embrace, relaxed and confident. Lilian tried to straighten up but stayed pressed against him. She struggled but couldn’t break free. He chuckled softly and leaned in to kiss her delicate earlobe. "Isn’t this what they call ’finding what you seek without all the hard searching’?" He’d been suffering, thinking he wouldn’t see her tonight — and now here she was, held tight in his arms. Lilian’s cheeks burned as his warm tongue traced her skin. Afraid someone would see, she pushed him hurriedly, "Don’t, please—" "It’s okay. This spot is hidden; hardly anyone comes here." Morrison cupped her face and whispered low and tender before sealing her lips with his. Lilian almost cried from the shock, her whole body stiffening in his arms. Morrison soothed her gently on the back, "Relax." Then he kissed her again, his mouth stealing her breath. But knowing the timing wasn’t right, Morrison pulled away after a moment. Lilian gasped for air, realizing she’d forgotten to breathe in her nervousness. Morrison held her close, smiling softly as he watched her. His rough fingers lightly traced her earlobe, teasing her with gentle touches while murmuring seductively, "After dinner, you’re coming back to your apartment, right?" Lilian shook her head firmly. "No!" He smiled wickedly, a playful gleam in his eyes. "I never said what we’d do once we got there. Why say no before you even know? You women are always so full of contradictions." Lilian opened her mouth to retort, "You—" But in the end, she couldn’t get the words out, only blushing fiercely instead.