C28 You Fell in Love with Her.

Inside the coffee shop, Lydia's heart fluttered with unease after sending her message, the guilt of a misdeed potentially discovered gnawing at her.

"Concentrate on your coffee, no more phone," came a voice out of nowhere.

Abruptly, a hand descended like a bolt from the blue, commandeering her phone and sliding an Americano across the table to her. Author studied her delicate face with a hint of a smile. "Sugar?"

"What's your angle?" Lydia asked, her eyes landing on the man opposite her, his face a magnet for attention, yet her gaze was icy and detached.

Leaning back, his hand resting casually against his temple, he peered at her with a sly glint in his eyes. "Haven't I mentioned? You owe me for my losses."

"It can't be that simple," Lydia retorted, skeptical of Author's claim.

If Author, with his striking looks, truly desired women, he could easily have his pick without resorting to her for reparation. His persistence suggested an ulterior motive.

Caught off guard by her guarded nature, Author's body tilted, his temple still cradled by his hand, his lips curling into a knowing smile. "You've seen right through me. So, I'll be frank—I find you quite intriguing."

"I'm not interested in you," Lydia stated flatly, placing a hundred yuan on the table. "Consider the coffee on me, a peace offering for the other day."

She rose to leave but was swiftly blocked by the man's imposing figure.

"That's not the kind of compensation I'll accept. What I desire is..." He leaned in, his presence overwhelming, "you."

"You're after my help to take on Reece, aren't you?" Lydia stepped back, eyeing Author with suspicion.

His true intentions laid bare by her words, Author froze, taken aback.

Goulcrest's gossip painted Lydia as a mindless fawner and a drama queen. Yet, in person, she was astoundingly astute, piercing through his facade with ease.

It was a stark reminder that rumors often held little truth.

Author reassessed the slender woman before him. Even with a mask concealing half her visage, the exposed eyes sparkled with intelligence, as deep and inviting as a starlit ocean, seemingly capable of drawing one in.

Lydia may not have been the most stunning woman he had ever laid eyes on, but she was certainly the most aloof one he had encountered.

An intriguing woman indeed.

He found himself increasingly captivated by her.

After a brief moment of distraction, Author dropped the pretense of a smile and adopted a rare earnest demeanor. "Is it that obvious, my transparency to you?"

Lydia shot back with an expression that screamed 'extremely obvious.' "Mr. Lee, whatever beef you have with Reece is beyond me, but one thing's clear—you won't extract any information you're after from me. So, let's not waste each other's time."

With that, the conversation had clearly run its course.

Lydia offered a courteous smile and made her exit from the coffee shop.

Author watched her retreating figure with a piqued interest that lingered long after she was gone. She was becoming more fascinating by the minute...

Lydia hailed a cab back to the Tillman residence.

As she stepped out, a video call from her mother popped up.

"What's got you so elated, Mom?" Lydia asked, her eyes sparkling with curiosity at the beaming woman on the screen.

"Your dad's reclaimed his manager's seat," Eliza announced, her face aglow with happiness.

Lydia's lips curved into a smile, mirroring her mother's joy. "Well, congratulations to Dad."

"All thanks to you securing that Blue Bay property. You deserve the credit!" Eliza's voice wavered with emotion, her eyes brimming with tears of pride and relief.

Lydia felt a lump in her throat as she saw her mother's pride. "Mom, I'm craving your homemade dumplings."

She longed for them dearly.

She yearned for lazy mornings in bed, ignoring her mother's calls to rise...

Since her rebirth, she had been dying to rush into her parents' embrace.

But that time hadn't come yet...

Still, she was determined to make it happen.

"Sure, when Reece finds the time, both of you come over. I'll prepare your favorite celery and pork meatball dumplings," her mother promised.

"Okay, sounds good," Lydia agreed, her smile as sweet as ever.

The mother-daughter duo chatted away until Lydia was just about to step into the living room.

With the knowledge that her parents' days at the Ellis household were looking up, Lydia's spirits soared, and her smile broadened involuntarily.

"Such a radiant smile," she thought. "Today must have been a great day with the classmates."

Suddenly, a familiar voice of interrogation cut through the room.

She halted mid-step, lifting her head sharply to find Reece seated on the sofa, Loran at his side.

Why was he home?

In the past, Reece would leave at dawn and return by moonlight just to avoid her entanglements. What brought him home so early today?

How odd.

She tempered her smile and nodded. "Yes, they're quite down-to-earth and easy to get along with."

Beside the sofa, Loran's sneer was hidden in the shadows of his thoughts.

You and Author certainly do get along well, as Sixth Brother and I have seen with our own eyes.

And you've lied to Sixth Bro because of Author.

Though Sixth Brother may not care for Lydia, he despises being lied to above all else.

He shot a glance at the man next to him, whose expression was stormy enough to wring water from.

Heh!

Lydia, your time is up!

"What was the reason for your call today?" Lydia shrugged off her coat and looked up at Reece, taken aback by his brooding expression.

What's wrong?

Did she misspeak?

It didn't seem like it.

Yet, why did he look as if he wanted to devour her whole?

"Why didn't you answer the phone?"

Reece's voice had turned icy, his chilling gaze landing on her once more, making her spine rigid. She couldn't shake the feeling that he knew she had lied and was furious.

But that was impossible... He didn't care about her, so why would he be angry?

It had to be a figment of her imagination. Yes, definitely just that.

"Didn't I say I was in class?" She couldn't stop herself from retorting, feeling unsettled by his strange demeanor since she'd walked in.

As Loran watched the woman brazenly stand by her lie, he couldn't help but be impressed by her audacity.

He stayed quiet, taking pleasure in the spectacle of Lydia's continued charade. After all, she was bound to face the consequences—a fate most grim.

With these thoughts, Loran's anticipation shifted to his sixth brother.

The man's gaze on Lydia was a tapestry of complexity, and after a long pause, he squeezed out two words, "Never mind."

"Oh, I'll head back to my room then," Lydia said with a polite smile, making her way to the second floor.

Loran was dumbfounded.

What kind of bewitched ending was this?

The woman who had deceived his brother Reece just... just strolled off without any consequences?

Cough!

He caught Reece off guard, "Brother, she deceived you. You... You're just letting her off the hook?"

Reece remained silent.

Loran's brows knitted in bewilderment. "Bro, this isn't like you at all! What's gotten into you?"

"I wish I knew," Reece said, massaging his temples with a pained expression.

Loran stared at his brother, stunned for a moment before a wave of panic washed over him. "Brother... you haven't fallen for her, have you?"