The children were playing happily, so much so that Wythe didn’t even notice Lydia’s arrival.Lydia had indeed come with Andrew today.Andrew was dressed in a white suit, looking as refined and elegant as a prince, while Lydia wore a mauve long dress, exuding intellectual elegance.Their entrance garnered considerable attention, given that it was, after all, an Arliss family gathering.The appearance of two unfamiliar faces naturally sparked curiosity.The Arliss family’s extended relatives whispered among themselves, speculating about Lydia’s identity.“Who are those two? I don’t think I’ve seen them before! But she seems quite familiar with the family—didn’t you see Andrew personally greet her?”“That child playing so well with the eldest’s kids called that woman ‘Mom’. Could she be an illegitimate daughter from somewhere?”“That doesn’t seem likely. I saw Grandpa call them over earlier, and he seemed quite amiable. Given Grandpa’s temper, he detests illegitimate children the most!”
Thera’s confident and natural demeanor left Thera at a loss for words.Ronald, on the other hand, glanced at the three of them with a half-smile and raised his glass. "It's an honor to have Lydia here, and who's this handsome fellow by her side? Lydia, aren't you going to introduce him? Or are you planning to surprise us?"Lydia felt a bit awkward, but Andrew smiled and said, "I've long heard of Ronald's charm and sophistication, and now I see it's true! I'm currently pursuing Lydia."Andrew's straightforwardness made Lydia's face flush, not from shyness but from embarrassment.She instinctively looked at Lambert, who remained expressionless as if he was oblivious to everything, which made her feel a deep sense of loss.Ronald continued, "Brother Chen has a keen eye, unlike some people who miss out on gems. I wonder if they ever regret it!"The previous remarks were subtle, but this one was an obvious jab. Lambert's handsome face showed no signs of being affected, which only added to
Seeing that Lydia seemed somewhat sober and not as drunk as he had imagined, Lambert was about to turn and leave when Lydia suddenly grabbed his collar.Lambert was taken aback, and then he saw the woman in front of him shedding large, heavy tears.“Lambert! Why? Why are you doing this to me?”Seeing her tears, Lambert felt a pang in his heart. He instinctively reached out to caress her face but quickly withdrew his hand, realizing it was inappropriate. “You’re drunk. I’ll have Thera take you home.”By this time, Lydia was thoroughly drunk. Her eyes were red, and she clung tightly to Lambert’s clothes, refusing to let him leave.Lambert felt a bit at a loss. He wanted to push her hands away but couldn't bring himself to do it.“Lambert... Lambert...”Lydia called out his name repeatedly, her tears falling like pearls, soaking Lambert’s shirt and piercing his heart.Lambert couldn’t care about anything else anymore. He scooped her up and strode toward his car.Lydia’s face was pale, he
Even though he knew everything before him was nothing more than a beautiful dream, and that once the dream ended, they would still go their separate ways, Lambert couldn't bring himself to let go.Lydia responded passionately to his kiss. Her small frame suddenly seemed to burst with immense strength, pushing Lambert onto the bed and straddling him. Her hands fumbled eagerly at his clothes, and her lips impatiently kissed his face.Lambert felt both amused and saddened. The usually reserved woman now behaved like a kitten, eager to assert her territory. He could easily push her away, but he couldn’t bear to let her go.In her hazy state, Lydia felt an urgent need to do something incredibly important. She wanted to hold the man before her, to make him hers forever, never to leave. However, she couldn’t seem to find the right way, and frustration filled her eyes.Seeing Lydia like this softened Lambert’s heart, and the heat stirred by her eager movements made him feel out of control.At
Lydia stepped out of the room and found out that her accommodation had already been paid for. She had a vague suspicion in her heart, and this suspicion made her feel conflicted.When Andrew arrived, he saw Lydia standing in a daze at the hotel entrance, her eyes filled with a trace of confusion. Andrew’s heart tightened, and he quickly stepped forward to ask about her situation."Lydia, are you alright? Did Lambert do anything to you?"Lydia snapped out of her daze and subconsciously repeated Andrew's words, "Lambert? He’s the one who brought me here?"Andrew was taken aback, then felt a bit frustrated. He had intended to keep it from Lydia, but now that it was out, he decided to be honest. "Lydia, I'm sorry. You were drunk last night, and somehow Lambert ended up taking you away. I apologize; I didn’t protect you well.""Andrew, you don’t need to apologize. It’s not your fault. Besides, Lambert didn’t do anything bad to me, so you don’t have to worry."The more Lydia reassured him,
Zebulon smiled warmly, “Since you’ve put it that way, not staying would seem petty. Alright, I’ll accept your hospitality.”“No need to be so polite. We might even become in-laws in the future!”Lambert frowned upon hearing this, feeling discontent but managing not to show it in front of the guests. On the other hand, Verna, sitting opposite, blushed and stole glances at Lambert, clearly quite pleased with him.“Lambert, let me introduce you. This is Zebulon’s wife, and this elegant young lady is Zebulon’s daughter, Verna. You young people should have plenty to talk about!”Odgen’s enthusiastic demeanor made everything clear to Lambert. No wonder his father had stopped monitoring him—he had already decided Lambert should get married and start a family.Verna, although restrained, clearly had a favorable impression of her prospective partner. Unlike other women who might have thrown themselves at him, she merely stole glances, which did not go unnoticed by her parents.Zebulon sighed i
Lambert and Verna talked as they walked back to the villa. Their interaction did not go unnoticed by Odgen and Zebulon, who exchanged knowing smiles. It seemed their families would soon be united.Lambert was unaware that his father and Verna's father had already reached an agreement. His thoughts were entirely occupied with Lydia, especially because he remembered they had an important business meeting in two days.Lambert was both looking forward to and dreading the meeting. He yearned to see Lydia but knew they could never be together. Even so, he couldn't resist the opportunity to see her again.Two days later, in the general manager's office of Universal Conglomerate's branch, Steven was baffled by the sight of his boss sitting at the desk.It was just a minor meeting; why was the boss so involved?And why was he so meticulously reviewing the cooperation proposal? His dedication was astonishing.At 8:45, Lambert finally looked up from the proposal. "Are the representatives here ye
Manager Louis quickly stepped in to defuse the tension. "Alright, alright, we're all family here. No need to be so confrontational. Yes, Lydia's studio had some issues before, but they've been resolved. Let's focus on how we can make the studio more successful moving forward, shall we?"Leroy snorted, thinking to himself, What a bootlicker!Louis also sneered inwardly, Kid, you're not ready to take my place yet!Lambert paid no attention to the undercurrents between his subordinates. He tapped his fingers on the table, his mind occupied with finding a way to speak to Lydia alone.With no further interruptions, the meeting proceeded smoothly. Lydia was well-prepared, and by the end, even Leroy, who initially believed Lydia had only secured the partnership through connections, had a more favorable opinion of her.As the meeting concluded, everyone gradually left the conference room. Lydia was the last to leave. The meeting's success brought her a sense of relief, but it also sparked a t