Chapter 156: Chapter 156- audacious
Being together was one thing; talking about marriage was another. Lilian reminded herself she was still young. Marriage didn’t have to come so quickly.
Morrison’s infatuation might be intense now, but passion could fade over time. Perhaps his current obsession with her was just a fleeting desire, a fire that would burn out in a few years. Only then could one truly judge a man’s attitude toward love and commitment.
Bert drove Lilian back to the old estate. She invited him inside to stay for a while, but he declined.
In Burg Eltz, Bert occasionally visited Daniel, but they always met at tea houses outside. Bert rarely set foot in the old estate; he didn’t want to make Tiffany uncomfortable. From Tiffany’s perspective, who would willingly see another woman’s child inside her home?
So after dropping Lilian off, Bert left. Shortly afterward, Morrison’s car arrived to deliver her luggage.
The uproar Morrison had caused at the airport spread quickly online, and Daniel and Tiffany immediately learned what had happened—Morrison had publicly confessed his love to their daughter. Daniel was furious.
"That brat! What on earth does he think he’s doing? How dare he come here and confess to Lilian!"
When Morrison arrived with the luggage, Daniel was the one to meet him. Tiffany and Lilian had already gone upstairs to their rooms, and Lilian didn’t want to see Morrison at that moment.
Daniel wasted no time scolding Morrison.
"From now on, you will stop chasing Lilian! We will never allow her to be with you."
Morrison opened his mouth to defend himself.
"Daniel, I—"
But Daniel cut him off immediately.
"Since the luggage is delivered, you may leave."
It was a clear dismissal. Daniel had no interest in listening to Morrison. He simply wanted him gone.
Morrison had anticipated this treatment; Daniel’s icy glare didn’t faze him in the slightest.
"Uncle, I know you have a lot of objections to me, but this time, I’m sincere. I truly want to make things right with Lilian—"
The moment he said her name, Daniel’s temper flared instantly.
"Lilian? You call her Lilian?"
"Only her closest friends and family can call her that," Daniel snapped, his voice sharp. "Who do you think you are? You, her ex who abandoned her—don’t you feel any shame calling her Lilian?"
Daniel had wanted to confront Morrison when he broke up with Lilian over a year ago, but Tiffany had stopped him. She had said it was between the two of them; adults shouldn’t interfere. The damage was already done, and punishing Morrison would serve no purpose.
Now was different. Morrison had walked straight into their house and practically begged for trouble. Daniel wasn’t about to let this opportunity slip by.
Silenced by Daniel’s barrage, Morrison chose the wisest response: silence.
After Daniel had vented, Morrison cast a respectful glance toward the quiet upper floor and spoke calmly:
"Daniel, the luggage has been delivered. I’ll be on my way. Please take care of your health and try not to let your temper get the better of you."
With that, he exited under Daniel’s still-fuming gaze. Once outside, Morrison let out a long, steady breath.
"Phew..."
Days like this would probably become frequent.
Sometimes, having fewer siblings wasn’t such a bad thing. When Dave tried to win back Laurent, only Laurent’s father got angry. Here, Morrison faced Daniel, Dave, and the ever-volatile Bert.
After Morrison left, Tiffany came down the stairs. She glanced at Daniel, still simmering, and tried to soothe him.
"You know your health isn’t the best. Why still get so worked up?"
Daniel frowned. "Seeing him just angers me. He didn’t want Lilian back then, and now he shamelessly comes chasing her again?"
Tiffany remained calm, composed. "Everyone makes mistakes. If he’s willing to make amends, let’s see how he behaves."
Her words struck Daniel in an unexpected way. He suddenly realized he had no right to harshly judge Morrison. He had been young once too—made mistakes, hurt people, and wandered aimlessly. Morrison, in contrast, seemed to have realized his errors before causing irreparable damage. They had no marriage, no children, only a past relationship.
Daniel exhaled deeply and asked Tiffany, "How’s Lilian feeling?"
"She didn’t say anything. She went straight to her room," Tiffany replied.
Tiffany understood that her daughter’s emotions were far too complex to be summed up in simple terms like "good" or "bad." When they had broken up, the wound had been deep because the love had been so intense. Now, the man Lilian had once loved so profoundly had returned, pursuing her. To deny the stirring in her heart would be a lie. Tiffany could only hope her daughter could navigate her own tangled emotions.
After lunch the next day, Lilian set off for A.T., driven by her own chauffeur.
As soon as their car left the city limits of Burg Eltz, another vehicle quietly fell in behind them.
At first, Lilian didn’t notice. After lunch, she was drowsy, leaning against her seat in a haze.
It was the chauffeur who first spotted the tail.
"Miss, there’s a car following us. I think it’s Mr. Morrison’s," he said.
The chauffeur had driven for the family for many years and could recognize nearly every high-profile vehicle in Burg Eltz. The black Bentley behind them was unmistakable—it belonged to Morrison.
Realizing this, Lilian finally turned to glance at the car through the rearview mirror. Sure enough, it was him.
She stared at the car for a moment, then flopped back into her seat, gritting her teeth.
"Just focus on driving. Let him follow if he wants," she muttered to the chauffeur.
Lilian knew perfectly well—this man would never take no for an answer. Even if she called him right now, telling him to stop following her, he wouldn’t listen.
So she let him follow. She had work to do; she didn’t have time to deal with him anyway.
Still, the thought of heading to A.T., and knowing he was trailing behind, brought a flood of memories she couldn’t shake.
The last time she had come to A.T. for a break, he had been there too. Those few days had been sweet, almost idyllic—long drives along the winding roads, quiet moments in the hotel, the laughter, and even the heavy rain on the way back. Memories that now felt painfully distant.
By the time the chauffeur dropped Lilian at the hotel she had booked, he returned to Burg Eltz. Laurent was on paternity leave, so he was in Burg Eltz, and of course, Dave was there too, accompanying him. The A.T. residence hadn’t been used for months. Dave had suggested having someone tidy it up in advance for her, but Lilian thought it unnecessary. She was only here for a day or two to shoot the cover. Staying at a hotel was easier.
The official shoot was scheduled for tomorrow, but Tina had asked her to come today, treat her to dinner in the evening, and get some rest so she would look her best on the cover. Lilian didn’t mind; coming back to the town specifically for this cover was exciting, and she wanted to be at her peak—both in skin and spirit.
While checking in at the hotel lobby, she felt a steady, confident set of footsteps approaching behind her. A tall figure appeared at her side. The scent of crisp cologne mixed with faint tobacco drifted to her, sharp and unmistakable.
Lilian subtly shifted, creating space between them, though she didn’t look back. She didn’t need to—she already knew who it was.
His car had followed hers all the way. When she parked, she had seen him pull in as well. It wasn’t surprising at all that he was here.
The lobby had two front desk attendants. One was helping Lilian, while the other attended to Morrison. Just standing there, he made the other girl blush, but Lilian ignored it completely, keeping her focus on her own check-in.
"Miss, here’s your room key. Please keep it safe," the attendant said politely, handing her the card and pointing her toward the elevator.
"Thank you," Lilian replied, taking the card and her luggage, ready to leave.
Then, a voice cut through behind her, calm yet infuriating:
"Does this miss have a room next door as well?"
Lilian froze instantly, spinning around, eyes blazing at the audacious man standing there.