Chapter 160: Chapter 160- trust
Morrison walked over and switched on all the lights in the room. His voice was low and steady as he spoke,
"Let’s go. Head back early—you have a photoshoot tomorrow, don’t you?"
Perhaps the earlier romantic atmosphere had been too overwhelming; the moment the lights came on, Lilian seemed to regain her composure.
She picked up her bag, eyes downcast, and walked past him. Morrison watched her retreating figure with a resigned smile.
The girl could change moods so quickly. Just moments ago, she had been completely lost in their intimate closeness.
Sigh—well, it was fine.
Slowly, step by step.
Still, he knew one thing: after what had just happened, she wasn’t as resistant to him as before.
He could feel it in the way she had responded to his kiss—a subtle shift, but enough to tell him she was no longer pushing him away so firmly.
On the way back, Lilian sat quietly in Morrison’s car. The ride was silent, the kind of quiet that didn’t need words. She pulled down the little vanity mirror above her head and took a look at her reflection.
Her heart sank. Her makeup... it was ruined. She felt like she just wanted to crawl into a hole and disappear. Quickly, she grabbed a wet wipe to fix it, and Morrison let out a low chuckle from beside her.
Lilian glared at him, a flash of annoyance in her eyes. Morrison immediately raised his hands defensively.
"I’ve seen worse than this just a few moments ago," he said with a soft laugh. "No need to wipe it off now."
"Do you think I’m cleaning it up for your sake?" Lilian shot back without hesitation, sharp and unapologetic. Morrison stayed silent, knowing he’d lost this round.
When they arrived at the hotel, Morrison dropped her off at the entrance and went to park his car. By the time he returned, Lilian had already disappeared—off to her room, leaving him alone.
He couldn’t help but smile, a little exasperated but still pleased. Some things didn’t need to be spelled out. He didn’t have a clear verbal answer from her, but he could feel it—the subtle shift in her attitude toward him. Tonight had been a breakthrough, worth more than any business deal he might have lost to Jackson.
Once inside her room, Lilian’s first instinct was to call Tina. She wanted answers, but Tina’s phone was off. Lilian let out a soft hum of frustration. Clearly, they had all conspired with Morrison, planning this little "trap" to get her to dinner with him—and now, shutting the phone just added insult to injury.
She shrugged it off. Tomorrow, she’d see Tina in person. That would be enough.
Setting her phone down, she grabbed her clothes, ready to shower, when a soft knock came at her door.
"Lilian—"
Her chest skipped a beat, a subtle tremor running through her as memories of the evening in the restaurant flared up. She didn’t open the door, just called out,
"What is it?"
His voice was soft, almost gentle.
"Nothing... just wanted to make sure you got back safely."
Lilian rolled her eyes. She was grown, she wasn’t about to get lost.
"I’m back. You should get some rest too," she said firmly, signaling that the conversation was over.
"Alright... you get some rest as well," he replied calmly from the other side of the door. She thought the topic had ended there. After all, talking through a door was never comfortable.
She took a step toward the bathroom, ready to finally wash off the day, when his voice came again, softer this time, tinged with hope and a hint of hesitation:
"Tonight... did you enjoy it?"
Her chest softened involuntarily at the tone. She paused, then whispered back,
"Thank you."
She didn’t need to say she had enjoyed it immensely. That single word carried everything.
Lilian heard his low, soft laugh outside the door, a sound that somehow made her chest feel lighter. Then came the sound of his footsteps retreating and the neighboring door opening.
She bit her lip, clutching her clothes as she stepped into the bathroom.
A good night’s sleep followed.
Before bed, she even applied a face mask. Both her spirit and her skin were in perfect condition, and the next morning, during the shoot, Tina kept praising her complexion.
"You’re too unfair, Tina," Lilian said, frowning. "Last night—you were really not fair at all!"
Tina, eyes bright, replied without missing a beat, "Not fair? I had something urgent come up last night. Letting the boss attend dinner on my behalf—what’s wrong with that?"
Lilian frowned, refusing to give in. "But... the only one who could really take your place, isn’t that Mr. Jacob?"
Tina, gently brushing Lilian’s small nose with a soft brush as she applied makeup, smiled. "You’re completely mistaken. I couldn’t let our Mr. Jacob dine with a young, beautiful girl like you—it would be too dangerous."
Lilian raised an eyebrow. "You don’t trust Mr. Jacob?"
She didn’t believe a word of it. Jackson and Tina were famously close, and Jackson was completely devoted to her.
Tina chuckled softly. "Ah, Burg Eltz girl, you’re far too naïve."
She leaned closer, her tone calm but filled with insight. "You have to understand, men are rarely ever truly loyal. There’s a saying: loyalty comes only when the stakes for betrayal aren’t enough."
Her words were casual, but beneath them lay the wisdom of someone who had lived, loved, and learned.
"Some men seem faithful, but no one can guarantee it’ll last forever. Some may have a wandering heart, yet that doesn’t mean they can’t settle. In the end, love and marriage always carry risk—they require care, attention, and effort."
Lilian listened quietly, absorbing every word.
Tina’s voice softened, carrying an almost poetic warmth. "But there’s one thing that matters most: if you’re not brave enough, you’ll never take the first step into love or marriage. Then you’ll never experience the thrill, the excitement, that comes from truly taking a risk."
She painted a vivid metaphor. "It’s like a flower growing on the edge of a cliff. Stunning, captivating—but to pluck it, there’s danger. If you step back out of fear, you’ll miss the chance to hold that beauty in your hands."
Lilian fell silent, Tina’s words lingering in her mind. She understood perfectly—they were an indirect encouragement to open her heart, to trust Morrison again, to be brave one more time.
Seeing her quiet, Tina let the topic rest and shifted to talking about fashion and styling. Lilian listened, though her mind kept returning to Tina’s advice.
After finishing her makeup, Tina guided her through a few outfit selections. They captured the cover shots and a few interior frames. Lilian had over a year’s experience as a model, so the shoot went smoothly, wrapping up in just a morning.
Morrison hadn’t come along. He had dropped Lilian off that morning before leaving to meet with Jacob.
After the shoot, Tina invited her to lunch, bringing along Jacob and Morrison as well. The four of them headed to the restaurant together. Tina and Jacob, as a couple, made it feel like Lilian and Morrison were sitting like one too.
Lilian had assumed that after the morning shoot, she could return to A.T., but Tina mentioned that Morrison still had to shoot in the afternoon.
Lilian was surprised, glancing at him. "You agreed to help shoot the cover as well?"
She remembered—Tina and Sophia had personally invited him before, but he had always declined.