C24 Her Heart Broke.

By the time Lydia raced out the door, Reece's car was nowhere to be seen. She stood on the deserted street, irritation mounting, and pulled out her phone to dial that all-too-familiar number. The response was a woman's voice, mechanical yet polite, "I'm sorry, the number you have dialed is currently switched off."

Switched off?

This was maddening!

Lydia's grip on her phone tightened, her teeth clenched in frustration, nearly biting through her lip with the force of it.

Reece was clearly dodging her.

"Young Madam, where to now?" The driver inquired, casting a glance at the steely-faced woman in the backseat.

"To the company!"

Since Maria's death, Reece's days had fallen into a predictable pattern, shuttling between the Tillman family home and the company.

And today being Monday, he was bound for the company to attend a scheduled meeting.

She just needed to wait for him at the company's entrance.

Today, she was determined to confront the person who had once handled her phone and clear her name once and for all.

At the Tillman Group headquarters, in the CEO's office.

Reece was fixated on his computer screen, unable to concentrate. His mind was flooded with images of Lydia's morning encounter with the Author and her icy words.

The more he dwelled on it, the more his irritation grew, his brows knitting together repeatedly.

"Sixth Bro, is there an issue with the South City land plan?" Loran leaned in, curiosity piqued by Reece's furrowed expression.

Instead of the document he expected, Loran's gaze fell upon the desktop wallpaper.

Oh...

Loran licked his thin lips and cocked his head, observing his sixth brother lost in thought. His striking peach blossom eyes crinkled into crescents. "Tsk, tsk... What's got you so preoccupied, Sixth Bro?"

"Lydia." The man massaged his nose bridge, a headache brewing. He was at a loss himself, his composure rattled by that woman, unable to find peace.

Previously, Reece's mention of Lydia was laced with loathing. But today, Loran detected a mix of annoyance and turmoil in his eyes. There was displeasure, certainly, but not a trace of disdain or aversion.

Loran, seasoned in matters of the heart, recognized the subtle shift.

"Sixth Brother, you couldn't possibly..." Loran's eyes widened with alarm as he regarded the man before him. The thought of things taking such a turn filled him with dread.

"What couldn't I possibly do?" the man asked, his brow furrowing.

"Nothing, nothing at all. I'm just overthinking things," Loran quickly backtracked, the chill in the man's gaze convincing him he must have been mistaken. How could his Sixth Brother possibly fall for Lydia? "You wouldn't be that blind!"

"Hmm?" Confused, Loran couldn't help but turn to face the man. "Out with it, what are you trying to say?"

"I was worried you might be developing feelings for Lydia!" Loran confessed, feeling it was better to be upfront.

The atmosphere around the man darkened instantly. Loran, however, wore a grin, thumping his chest with feigned assurance. "But I trust Sixth Brother's taste isn't that poor. He wouldn't fall for Lydia, the fat homebody!"

Reece remained silent, his gaze deepening as he continued to stare at the computer screen.

Lydia, overhearing Loran's last remark, stopped in her tracks, her mouth twitching involuntarily.

Fat homebody!

She glanced down at her own figure—hardly overweight at a hundred pounds and standing at 5'5"—and managed a wry smile. She might be a bit of a homebody, but fat? Hardly.

Lydia felt a twinge of annoyance at Loran's words, but she couldn't be bothered to make a fuss over it.

With a deliberate throat-clearing to announce her presence, she pushed the door open and entered.

"Sixth Brother, is my plan for the South City property up to par?" Loran gestured to the blank screen, feigning deep concentration on his work, hoping to cover up any behind-the-back chatter.

"Not yet, I need to review it more closely," the man replied.

Loran's jaw dropped in surprise.

Was Sixth Brother covering for him?

But as quickly as his gratitude flared, it fizzled out. Sixth Brother wasn't one to stoop to acting on his behalf. There had to be another reason for his cooperation...

Loran was baffled and his curiosity was piqued.

Lydia watched the two men, their pretense of diligence clear to her. She said nothing, simply crossing to the sofa across from them and taking a seat.

She munched on sunflower seeds, content to wait for Reece to finish his work.

She casually cracked sunflower seeds, leisurely waiting for Reece to finish his work before diving into the main topic. However, her wait stretched on until the clock struck twelve.

Gurgle, gurgle...

Having barely eaten that morning, Lydia's stomach was now loudly voicing its complaints. She glanced over at the two men still engrossed in their work, then nestled into the sofa, her belly growling as she flipped through the same fashion magazine for the third time.

"Sixth Bro, I'm thinking of building a shopping mall right here..."

Loran's voice droned on with plans, but Reece's attention shifted to Lydia, who was clutching her stomach. He glanced at his watch—twelve o'clock already!

He snapped the planning book shut and tossed it to Loran. "I'm hungry. Let's eat now and continue afterward."

"...Oh, okay." Loran was taken aback. His Sixth Bro used to eat only after wrapping up a case, but now, surprisingly, he was sticking to meal times... Loran's gaze involuntarily flicked to Lydia on the sofa.

Lydia lay limp on the sofa, overwhelmed by hunger.

No!

It couldn't be because of her!

Surely, it was just a coincidence that Sixth Bro was hungry. That had to be it.

Loran stubbornly dismissed any wild thoughts, convincing himself that his brother wouldn't change his routine for Lydia. With that thought, he felt somewhat relieved and left the room.

As the door closed behind him, Lydia, who had seemed so feeble moments before, sprang to her feet. She strode over to Reece, her demeanor calm, a smile playing on her lips. "Finished with your work?"

Reece continued to ignore her, focusing on the pile of documents on his desk.

Treated as if she were invisible, Lydia's dissatisfaction grew. She bit her lip, struggling to keep her composure. She needed his help, after all. With effort, she mustered a placating smile. "Ahem... So..."

"CEO, your meal is ready."

The secretary's interruption halted Lydia's attempt to speak.

Reece paused his work. "Mmm, just set it on that table."

"Yes, sir."

The secretary complied, laying out the meal as instructed.

As the secretary was present, Lydia found herself unable to speak her mind, holding back until the secretary left. Her mouth opened slightly, as if she wanted to say something, but the man walked past her and straight to the sofa.

The man settled onto the sofa, gracefully picking up his bowl and chopsticks, ready to dine.

Abruptly, the hand reaching for the food was seized by a pair of delicate hands, sending warmth from the back of his hand straight to his core.

"Reece, what must I do for you to let me meet that woman?" Lydia's patience had run out, and she fixed the man across from her with a discontented glare.

At her words, the man slowly lifted his gaze to Lydia's finely-featured face. "You're different today than you were a few days ago."

"What?" Lydia was taken aback, confused.

Lydia seemed more vibrant today, more like her true self, reminiscent of the Lydia he knew before.

"Will you agree to my terms?" The man disregarded her puzzled response and became stern.

"...Yes!" Lydia replied decisively, without a second thought.

"Oh," the man murmured, his lips curving into a smile as his large hand clasped hers, pulling her forcefully into his arms.

Lydia's body collided with his solid chest, his masculine scent causing her ears to flush with a hint of red.

Before she could gather her wits, his sensuous lips were closing in on hers.

Her heart clenched in anticipation.

What was he planning?