Chapter 2

As they exited Martinez Residence, darkness had already settled. Lily trailed behind Liam and Susan as they returned to Summerskye Villa. Several years had passed since the Martinez brothers and their families moved out independently. The Martinez family was the most prominent in Lagersfield City, ranking second in assets. Hence, all children lived independently from their parents after marriage. “Sir, Madam,” a middle-aged woman opened the door and greeted them. Susan addressed her as Ms. Lopez. Though she maintained a respectful tone, Jenny Lopez cast a disdainful glance at Lily. “This must be Ms. Brooks.” “Ms. Lopez, please take Lily’s luggage upstairs and provide her with the new pajamas I bought. She’ll need to take a shower later.” Susan was overwhelmed with frustration on the way back. She couldn’t shake off the memory of the Martinez family’s mocking looks despite their claims that Lily was the one lacking in manners. They implied that Susan abandoned her daughter to get rich by marrying into a wealthy family. Though Susan couldn’t direct her frustration at the Martinez family, her displeasure toward Lily was evident. “Your grandmother has been hospitalized in the VIP ward. It costs 40 thousand dollars a month. Let me remind you that given the exorbitant fees, you must behave.” Susan’s reprimand was met with Liam’s cold rebuke, “She’s your daughter, after all. How can a mother say that?” Tears welled in Susan’s eyes as she felt aggrieved. “I’m doing this for our family, aren’t I? Are you going to let Shannon marry that man?” Liam fell silent, his brows furrowing together. After a moment’s pause, he turned to Lily. “If you’re unwilling to marry Mr. Laurier, I can find a way to annul this marriage.” Lily met his gaze. Liam was 50 years old, but he took great care of himself. He didn’t look his age at all. His eyes had a sharp glint, but he tried to remain gentle before Lily. Meeting Liam’s gaze, Lily quietly affirmed, “It’s fine.” “You—” Before Liam could finish, Lily interrupted, “I’m going to rest.” Lily acted casually as if everything was fine. Having spent the entire day on the road, she felt weary and wished to talk less. As Liam watched Lily leave, he felt a pang in his heart. After a pause, he pressed, “Don’t you want to reconsider? This is a matter of a lifetime.” When Susan proposed the idea of Lily marrying into the Laurier family, Liam refused. Lily had grown up without a mother, raised solely by her grandmother in the countryside. Liam couldn’t bear to see her life dictated by such circumstances. “No,” Lily answered without turning her head. She simply ascended the stairs with Jenny. Once upstairs, Lily swiftly packed her belongings before turning her attention to the black computer on the desktop. With nimble fingers, Lily navigated the computer, eventually pausing as a page of code appeared on the screen. Moments later, Lily stopped, her attention drawn to a file displayed on the screen. The file contained an image of a man—Loid Laurier. Lily’s lips curled slightly as her gaze fixed upon the photo, her expression steely. After a brief pause, Lily closed the file and took a shower. After her shower, Lily received a video call. She answered it as she dried her hair with a towel. “I’ve been exposed,” the man on the other end said. He had brown hair, green eyes, fair skin, and a tall nose bridge. He carried himself elegantly. Lily paused momentarily before plopping down on the chair and dropping her hair towel. She typed on the computer. After a brief pause, Lily resumed drying her hair with the towel. “Done,” she announced. From a young age, Lily knew she was different. She completed the elementary to junior high syllabi by the age of seven. By ten, she had assembled a computer and hacked into a website without detection. The man on the video call was Duncan, a renowned research genius known for his groundbreaking work. He often faced danger, but Lily had always been there to protect him. That formed a deep bond of friendship and understanding between them. Duncan, now safe, relaxed with a cigarette in hand. His worries were momentarily forgotten. Lily glanced at him. “Was it hard?” “A bit,” Duncan admitted. “But nothing I can’t handle. These people are no match for me alone. It’s the group attacks that get under my skin,” Duncan couldn’t help but lament. “Do you need my help?” Lily tossed the towel aside after she dried her hair and took a sip of her drink. “It’s fine.” Duncan continued, “I can handle it. Aren’t you investigating Loid? Don’t expose your identity because of me.” Lily responded nonchalantly, sounding weary as she curled up her legs and rested her chin on her knees. “As you wish.” “Once I’m done here, I’ll come find you,” Duncan promised before advising Lily to control her temper when dealing with Loid. Annoyed by Duncan’s persistence, Lily curtly ended the call. “Stop nagging. I’m hanging up.” … In Anmer Heights, Lagersfield City, Loid was standing by the window with his silhouette accentuated by the faint light outside. He had striking features—a high nose bridge, thin lips, and deep, expressive eyes. Under the light, he looked like royalty. He pursed his lips and maintained a straight face. “Mr. Laurier, the Martinez family is replacing Shannon with Lily.” Daniel Greene, clad in a black suit, stood respectfully behind Loid. He added, “She’s the elder daughter of Liam’s wife. Do we need to talk to them?” “It’s fine,” Loid turned around and answered gruffly. “I heard Lily is quite the trouble. She’s always skipped classes and got into fights. She got expelled before she could finish senior high. How can she become your wife?” Daniel felt upset. Did the Martinez family think they could fool Loid without suffering the consequences? Loid raised an eyebrow and asked, “So, what type of woman is fit to be my wife?” “She has to be outstanding.” Only an exceptional woman was worthy of Loid. Loid narrowed his eyes. “Who would allow someone exceptional to marry me with my condition?” Daniel lowered his head and declared, “I’ll find Shadowbane to cure your disease.” However, they wouldn’t have been searching to no avail if it were that easy. Loid shook his hand. “Prepare a gift. It’ll be my first meeting with my fiancée. I have to make a good impression.” “But…” Daniel wanted to say more but hesitated under Loid’s glare.

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