Having stayed at home for over a month, with the care and nourishing meals from Margret Parker, Lily's figure had filled out slightly, and she looked much healthier than she had in Lorehaven. This was what Julian had hoped to see, but on the other hand, he felt a pang of discomfort. He constantly wanted her by his side, to love, protect, and cherish her, hoping she would forget her absurd past. But he knew it was a difficult task, almost impossible, because Lily's heart was hard, especially towards him.
Lily didn't say a word or even glance at him, heading straight for the bus stop near the hospital.
Julian didn't dare touch her, fearing any struggle might harm the baby. He clenched his fists and followed her like a little attendant, so cautiously that anyone who knew him would be shocked. However, his limited patience evaporated
Mrs. Harper, seeing their affectionate display, felt it inappropriate to probe further. These days, young people getting married because of pregnancy wasn't a big deal. Besides, the young man was quite handsome and seemed well-matched with Lily. She nodded and smiled, saying to them, "You should come back to visit us. Mr. Harper and I still remember you fondly. Oh, and the piano room has been renovated. We've added two more pianos, so there's no need for the kind of squabbling you and Melody used to have." Lily's face turned red, and she playfully chided, "Mrs. Harper!" Mrs. Harper was Lily's music teacher. Although Lily had always been set on studying music and arts, she never neglected her academic subjects. Being gentle and well-mannered, she was always a favorite among the teachers. Melody, her classmate, was equally talented in piano but had a fiery temperament and loved to compete with Lily. However, when Melody went abroad in their second year of high school, what had seemed
Lily returned home, lost in thought. Margret Parker, hearing the door, quickly came out of the kitchen. She paused, then, wiping her hands on her apron, took hold of the distraught Lily, asking worriedly, "Honey? What's on your mind? Why did you come in without changing your shoes? Is something wrong... was the check-up not good?" Margret's face turned pale as she speculated.Lily snapped back to reality, patting her mother's hand and forcing a smile, "Mom, I'm fine, and so is the baby. I'm just feeling a bit tired." She kept Julian's matter to herself, her mind still in turmoil.Margret Parker breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile, “Being pregnant does make you tire easily. You’ve come back just in time, I’ve made chicken soup for you. Drink it while it’s hot!”
The news of Henry inquiring about an internship for Lily quickly reached Julian Sterling, who was furious enough to blow his top. Others might not know, but he did. Lily’s pregnancy hadn’t been easy, with complications in the first two months. How could she even think of doing an internship in such a condition? It was absurd!To avoid Julian, Lily rarely left the house and didn’t answer her phone, seemingly intent on provoking him. After running out of patience, he resorted to calling her home.By chance, Lily was the only one there.Covering her mouth in disbelief, she scolded him, “How could you call me at home?” Her voice was soft but enough to convey her anger.Julian Sterling
At that moment, Lily felt powerless. Julian always had a way of making everyone follow his lead, willing or not. It had always been this way; she could never accomplish anything he disapproved of. Her first instinct was to leave, unwilling to entangle herself further.The sudden, loud "thud-thud-thud" echoed in the small classroom. Julian leaned against the piano, his slender fingers childishly roaming the black and white keys, his deep eyes fixed on Lily. His expression was smiling, but his tone was cold, “Hey, I paid a lot of money for private piano lessons here, to teach my son in the future. Why does the teacher want to leave as soon as she arrives? I remember you signed a contract, didn’t you?”It was clear to anyone that Julian was behind this. Besides, he was already proficient at the piano; he didn't need le
Hearing her concern, Julian’s tense expression softened. He held her hand reassuringly, “It’s nothing serious, just a shallow cut. The fabric of my coat took most of it. No need for a hospital.” He wanted nothing more than to be alone with her; everything else was secondary.“Still, we should at least clean and bandage it,” Lily insisted, leading him towards the stone bridge to the right bank of the moat.Julian didn’t correct her, letting her hold his hand. Especially when he saw the name of the bridge, his heart leaped with joy – Lover’s Bridge. If only this bridge would bless him with a smooth journey to marrying her, he vowed to doubly maintain and cherish it.They stopped in front of an old house with a vintage woode
Henry Parker, expressionless, blocked his wife's attempt to shoo Julian away. He ignored Julian and instead asked his daughter, "Lily, did you suddenly say you don’t want to go to work because of him?" Henry was a smart man; after thinking through the events, everything made sense. Julian must have interfered.Julian boldly admitted, "Yes, it was my idea. Lily is pregnant and shouldn't be overworking. Just yesterday, she was robbed on her first day back at work. Luckily, I was there, or who knows what might have happened. I admit I might not have thought this through completely, but my intentions were for Lily’s well-being. I hope you can understand...""Understand? Understand what? Understand your repeated bullying and taking advantage of us?" Margret Parker, reminded of the previous incident with the Sterlings, was furi
April arrived in a blink, bringing with it a season of persistent, fine rain. Julian Sterling had been absent from the company for nearly two months. Chaos reigned in the Lorehaven office, forcing Lucas Hartley to reluctantly become his scapegoat. Mountains of paperwork piled up on his desk, and he was so overwhelmed that he half-joked about firing Julian before resigning himself. He even proclaimed a hefty reward for anyone who could bring Julian back, but who would dare provoke the ire of Julian Sterling? Meanwhile, Julian himself was not having an easy time. Despite his daily visits to the Parkers, laden with fruits, supplements, and all sorts of items for the expectant mother and baby, not a single member of the family showed him any kindness. Whatever he brought w
The next day, every book on her list was delivered to her home, along with the usual supplements, but Julian himself didn't appear again, not even a phone call. By then, she was nearly twenty-five weeks pregnant, easily fatigued, with severely swollen hands and feet, and her mood fluctuated constantly. There was no one to nag her about what she shouldn't do or eat.Wasn't this what she had wanted? Why did she feel a sense of loss then? Before she could figure out what she truly wanted, an unexpected visitor arrived – Julian's elder sister, Charlotte Sterling.Their meeting was a "coincidence."Lily had heard of Charlotte's experiences, but seeing her in person was different from the image she had formed from photographs. Charlotte, with her neat, chic short hair and el