Lily sucked in the air as if it was the sweetest thing that she had tasted. She wrapped the robe around herself a little tighter, trying her best not to shiver from the cold. She stared at the dazzle of sunlight that started to light the horizon.
Then she let out a loud sigh. Her face morose as she slowly folded her arms across her chest. The weight of the information that Zhuo Jingren gave her last night made her a little sullen. She bit her lip and slowly leaned against the large floor to ceiling door connecting to the balcony of their hotel room.
Zhuo Jingren.
Lee Group.
Zhou Family.
A story that is worthy of becoming a makjang Korean Drama. Lily laughed at her own thoughts as memories flowed in her mind like a stream, reminding her of the lessons that her grandmother used to tell her.
Lillian was not fond of killings. She was a principled woman who never involved herself with illegal matters. She was a workaholic and ruled her empire with an iron fist. And Lily… well she got most of her grandmother’s characteristics. Maybe it was because Lillian personally trained her, molding her into whoever she was now. Or maybe it was genetic.
Because of Lillian, Lily was able to experience a lot of new things. She experienced cruelty, greed, jealousy and saw the ugliness of human nature. At this point in life, Lily could say that she had already encountered all kinds of people with their different personalities. However, until now, she still found it hard to accurately analyze and fully understand how certain individuals think.
Just like the Patriarch of the Lee Group.
He was a husband and a father. And yet the way he thinks differ from most fathers and husbands that Lily knew – or maybe not. Lily chuckled at her own contradicting thoughts. Isaac Lee, the current patriarch of the Lee Group, Zhuo Jingren’s grandfather was another greedy and ruthless man. That was the first statement that Zhuo Jingren uttered when he started telling Lily his story.
That was not something unique. In fact, he was just like every businessman out there. Isaac Lee always thought about profits and advantages. His decisions were the product of his analysis using profits as its basis. And that was the crux of Zhuo Jingren’s story.
“Hey…” Zhuo Jingren suddenly interrupted Lily’s thoughts when he hugged her from behind. Then she felt his kiss on her nape. “Good morning, beautiful.” His voice was a little husky and warm which instantly reminded Lily of their passionate night.
“Morning.” She smoothly turned around to face him, reached out her arms and wrapped it around his neck. Then she stood on her tippy toes and gave him a light kiss on the lips.
“You woke up so early. Aren’t you tired?”
“Why would I be?” Lily stifled a laugh. While she was physically tired, her mind refused to stop working and let her sleep. She watched as Zhuo Jingren’s lips curled into a seductive smile, his eyes trailed its way from her eyes to her lips then to her neck.
“Alright. Let’s see if you can still say that tomorrow.” He chuckled. “We will see Doctor Takashi later. He is someone from the U.S. An obstetrician and a friend.”
“Are you ready?” he asked.
“Of course. I am,” she responded. Lily had always wanted to have a child, however, the trauma and fear that she had after the accident stopped her from having herself checked. While her grandmother did get some specialist to check on her, she also didn’t force Lily to see the results. Instead, she waited for her granddaughter to overcome her own fears but Lily never did.
Lily was afraid. That was a fact. She was afraid that whatever the doctor said was actually true. She was afraid to experience what she felt all those years ago again. She was afraid that she might fall into another episode of depression. Lily was afraid to disappoint her grandmother and everyone who loved her. So she never asked.
She was a coward, Lily thought and laughed inwardly. However, everything is different now. Maybe it was because she already had someone like Zhuo Jingren, or because she finally knew what really happened seven years ago. Or maybe it was because for the first time in seven years, she found hope; something that she never had because of her tragic past.
“Then let’s have breakfast first,” Zhuo Jingren said, his eyes seemed to sparkle as he stared at the woman he loved with his everything. His lips curled into a brilliant smile before he kissed her again. “I will confirm our appointment.”
…..
In a Villa just on the outskirts of Tokyo
Samantha pursed her lips as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. Horror instantly flashed in her eyes but as usual, she instantly controlled her emotion and lowered her head. A single tear made its way onto her cheeks. She quickly wiped it using her hand and looked at her reflection once again.
‘Beast,’ she thought as she clenched her hands. Then she picked one of her full coverage foundations and started applying it on the purple bite marks on her chest. She instantly comforted herself, ‘This is for Father,for my family.’
After applying an extravagant amount of makeup over her bruises, Samantha applied a coat of concealer for her eye bags before she donned her signature smile for Adrian to see. Then she put on her favorite shade of lipstick and went out of the bathroom.
“What took you so long?” Adrian asked, his expression was dark. The embarrassment that he felt last night was still written all over his face. It will take him a long time just to forget about it, Samantha thought inwardly. “It’s almost nine. I have a conference at ten. I can’t afford to be late just because of you.” He was about to say more when he noticed the heavy make-up that Samantha put on her chest. He eyed her dress and his gaze instantly turned gentle. “Go change your clothing. It doesn’t suit you. Wear something blue, pastel blue is best. It will make you look trustworthy and approachable.”
“Oh… Alright.” Samantha nodded without saying another word. She was just a paid fiancée after all. This was her choice. Her reputation and beautiful face was something that Adrian needed to make him look good. His expertise in medicine and money were the things that Samantha needed to help her father.
‘It was a good exchange, it is worth it,’ she convinced herself before she chose the pastel blue dress that would suit Adrian’s taste.
