Chapter 162: Chapter 162- observe
When the kiss finally ended, Morrison brushed his thumb over her flushed lips, his gaze dark as he warned her,
"Say something to piss me off again, and I’ll punish you the same way."
"Shameless!"
Lilian pushed him away, snatching up her bag as she made for the door.
"I’m tired. I’m going back to rest."
The truth was, she just didn’t want to stay with him any longer—at least not right now. She wasn’t inexperienced; she’d felt his... reaction during that kiss, and it had made her cheeks burn. So she quickly used fatigue as her excuse.
And the moment she said she was tired, Morrison didn’t hesitate. He drove them both back to the hotel for some rest.
Of course, each went to their own room. At times like this, even if he wanted her, Morrison would never press for more. He believed that one day, she would come to him willingly.
By the time his photoshoot wrapped up that afternoon, the two of them were already on their way back to Burg Eltz.
Since Lilian had already checked out, she followed him to the shooting site. After the whole exhausting session was over, Morrison’s face was thunderous as he muttered,
"Never again. I’m never doing this kind of damned photoshoot again!"
For Morrison, posing for these photos was pure torture. His cheeks ached from all the forced smiling, until finally he snapped at the photographer, forbidding him to make him smile—or he’d walk off the set.
The truth was, most men hated photoshoots anyway—unless they were actors or used to such things.
Tina, standing nearby, chuckled and struck a blow to his pride.
"Boss, don’t make such bold claims. Remember, you still have your wedding photos to take in the future."
Morrison: "..."
Tina kept going, twisting the knife with a sweet smile.
"Wedding photos are worse. You have to smile—and I mean a real, toothy smile. Sweet. Happy. Have you ever seen a couple look dead serious in their wedding album?"
Morrison: "..."
Even the photographer joined in.
"And don’t forget the future family photos! Couple shoots, baby photos, family portraits—there’s no escape."
The photographer, being a professional, added with a knowing smile,
"These days, it’s all the trend. You can’t avoid it. Imagine, every other kid has family portraits with their parents, but yours doesn’t—it wouldn’t look too good, would it?"
Morrison: "..."
He’d thought this damned shoot would be the last. Who knew there were so many more waiting down the line?
But as he pictured those future scenes, the irritation slowly faded.
This wasn’t like the meaningless shoot he’d just endured. When he imagined standing beside her in a wedding shoot, when he imagined her in a white gown as he pulled her close... it stirred something warm in his chest.
Even if he had to smile like an idiot for those photos, he wouldn’t mind.
And then there were the family portraits—if it was their child, the one she gave him, standing between them... just that thought alone softened him completely.
Unconsciously, his gaze drifted to Lilian. She was already flushed from listening to Tina and the photographer talking about wedding and baby photos. They were getting way ahead of themselves—there wasn’t even a shadow of a plan between her and Morrison yet, and they were already painting the whole future.
Then she felt his heated gaze on her—and her face burned hotter.
"I’ll wait for you outside."
She mumbled that and quickly fled the studio.
Tina couldn’t help teasing Morrison.
"Boss, you’re not that young anymore. Time to start thinking about children."
Morrison’s brow twitched at the words not that young. Tina went on, twisting the knife,
"Oh, right—should probably get married first though. Can’t start the job without the license."
Morrison shot her a sharp glare.
"Pretty sure your Jackson isn’t that young either."
Tina just laughed, unbothered.
"True, he isn’t. But we’ve already finished our mission—kids and all. One boy, one girl, double the joy. If you want that, Boss... you might need a few more years of hard work."
Tina tilted her head with a sly smile.
"After all, not everyone is blessed with the genes for twins, you know."
Morrison had no patience left for this woman, who had somehow evolved into a venomous, sharp-tongued version of Jackson. With a faint scowl, he turned on his heel and strode off—his mind already set on catching up with his little girl.
Marriage. Children. A future that was theirs alone.
Thanks to Tina’s teasing, those thoughts lingered in Morrison’s head far longer than he expected. And the more he thought about it, the deeper the desire rooted itself.
So much so, that on the drive back to Burg Eltz with Lilian sitting beside him, he suddenly broke the comfortable silence.
"Do you like kids?"
Lilian blinked, caught off guard. Of course she understood what he was really asking—marriage, children, a shared life. But to her, those things still felt so far away. So she smiled faintly and deflected,
"I do. I adore Emma, and my nephew too—they’re both adorable."
She deliberately kept the subject on other people’s children, but Morrison wasn’t one to let go that easily.
"They are. But they’re not ours."
Just ahead was the highway entrance. Instead of driving on, Morrison pulled over at the empty roadside. He turned to her, took her hand, and said with quiet determination,
"Let’s get married, Lilian. Let’s have a child of our own."
Lilian froze for a heartbeat, then arched a brow.
"So this is your proposal? At a deserted highway entrance?"
Morrison’s lips parted, then pressed into a thin line.
"..."
"Sorry," he muttered after a moment, voice lower now. "Forget I said anything. I got ahead of myself."
He knew it—he’d been too hasty. Tina’s words had stirred something restless in him, and he’d let that impatience spill over. There was no ring, no plan—just a sudden rush of emotion. Too reckless. Too insincere.
But Lilian shook her head gently.
"You know I’m not the kind who cares about fancy gestures. I just think... with the way things are now, we’re not ready to talk about marriage."
She didn’t care about flowers, or diamond rings, or grand confessions. Those were never things she lacked, so they were never things she truly longed for.
What she cared about was the weight of it all. Marriage, to her, was no trivial matter. She was loyal, steady—when she stepped into a marriage, it would be for life.
And while she was confident she could love only one man for the rest of her life... she couldn’t yet say the same for him.
That lack of trust—he felt it. It was there, lingering between her words. Morrison turned away, eyes fixed on the empty road ahead, hiding the disappointment that flickered across his face.
Lilian caught that flicker, and tilted her head with a teasing smile.
"Didn’t you say I could observe you for a while first?"
His head snapped back toward her, his sharp features tightening ever so slightly.
"And how long do you plan to keep me under observation?"