Chapter 7
As the car pulled up to the Wilson residence, Lillian called for a stop. Jesse had already fallen asleep, unable to hold on any longer.
Lillian gently took General from Jesse’s armis. “Thanks a lot for tonight, Mr. Lewis, she whispered, her tone formal, matching the way Samuel had spoken to her earlier..
Samuel just nodded slightly as a response.
Before getting out of the car, Lillian left the two stuffed toys on the passenger seat for Jesse.
Luke noticed Lillian hadn’t done much during the ride and couldn’t help but silently admire her calmness.
Once inside the villa, Lillian spotted Bradley lounging on the couch in his pajamas, smoking. He might have been waiting for her, or maybe not, but she decided to ignore him and headed straight upstairs.
Bradley stubbed out the remaining half of his cigarette in the ashtray, watching Lillian as she went up. The words he had wanted to say got stuck in his throat.
In the bathroom, Lillian let her high ponytail fall and began brushing her hair. As she did, she couldn’t help but touch the bald spot on the back of her head from the surgery.
Her head still ached, and the urge to rush to Neragion and confront that jerk was stronger than ever
Lillian wasn’t sick; she was injured. Four months ago in Neragion she got into hot water by clashing with the region’s most powerful group. To save someone’s life, she had to take a shot atthe leader.
That group ruled Neragion with an iron fist, not hesitating to send an armed chopper to take her out. While the shrapnel in her head hadn’t been fully removed, today, she found out that stubborn leader was still alive.
Just after Lillian got out of the car, Luke received a message from his team. He drove while keeping his voice low, making sure not to wake Jesse from his nap. “Mr. Lewis, we found something out
“That girl is Bradley’s daughter from his late second wife. They said she could bring bad luck, so she was sent to Mesville to her grandma right after she was born. Today’s the first time she’s been back”
Regarding Lillian’s tough life, Luke couldn’t help but shake his head. ‘Superstitions are pointless.”
He knew that Yolanda was adopted and not Bradley’s biological child. But he had no idea Bradley’s biological daughter had been raised out in the remote Meville.
Luke continued, “She’s been living in Mesville all these years, depending on her grandmother. Aside from skipping class often, she hasn’t done anything too wild, and her grades have always been solid.”
But their background check clearly missed some details. Samuel raised an eyebrow. “A good student?”
Luke felt a bit embarrassed. Her skills are definitely impressive
-Lillian’s speed, strength, and reflexes weren’t typical–something else was at play. Though not much was known yet, her
abilities were clearly above average.
It’s clear that Jesse really likes her,” Luke reminded, hinting that those feelings might not be easily brushed aside.
‘T’ll look into it again,” he added. Understanding how important Jesse was to Samuel, Luke kno There had been too many cases of people with bad intentions getting close to Jesse.
he couldn’t be careless.
12:45
Chapter 7
Tue, Dec 31 D
Lillian grew up in the struggling town of Mesville, and now she had just been taken in by a wealthy family. She should feel powerless and out of place, especially since her biological father had labeled her as unlucky.
So, it was very likely that Lillian was getting close to Jesse to secure her spot in the Wilson family–or even in Jerisburg. If that was the case, plus with her skills, she would definitely need to be monitored.
Samuel stayed quiet, silently agreeing. He found Jesse’s phone and scrolled through the WhatsApp chat between Jesse and
Lillian
The black Maybach drove into the Lewis residence, winding around a large artificial lake before finally stopping in front of a
villa.
Samuel stepped out of the car, holding Jesse in his arms carefully to avoid waking him. But, worried about Lillian, Jesse stirred and woke up, only to find General was missing from his arms and noticed they were home.
Jesse lifted his head, his eyes still half–closed. After a moment, he murmured a new word. “Lillian, his voice soft and sleepy.
“We’ve driven her home, Samuel said gently,
Jesse quieted down, staring up at Samuel. Before Samuel could ask anything, Jesse suddenly removed the lucky coin he usually wore around his neck and held it up, wanting to put it on Samuel.
“I don’t need it. You should keep wearing it and not take it off again, Samuel said, trying to put it back on Jesse.
ד
But Jesse’s tiny hands held tightly against Samuel’s, tears welling up in his eyes, and his mouth quivering as if he might cry. “You should wear it.”
Suddenly, Samuel had a realization Jesse must have been scared when Lillian fainted, worried that something similar might happen to me. So, he wants to give me the lucky coin
With no other option, Samuel slipped the coin on. Im fine, really. Don’t worry,” he reassured Jesse as he carried him upstairs
Jesse held back his tears, resting quietly on Samuel’s shoulder, his little head leaning against Samuel’s cool, hard face.
The next morning, the atmosphere at the breakfast table was a bit tense,
Bradley asked a servant to pass Lillian a bowl of untouched stew, saying. “If that’s not enough, there’s more. Nora really likes
this.
Lillian ignored him, continuing to eat quietly.
Bradley added, “We have drivers available, and they can take you wherever you need next time. If you need anything, just ask Yetta, or maybe Yolanda can go with you. You girls have similar interests, and it could help your bond like sisters.”
He then pulled out a card. “Let me know if this is not enough. By the way, I’ll take you to the hospital myself after breakfast.”
After a moment of silence, he looked at Lillian’s indifferent expression and asked. “When are you going to start calling me Dad?
Lillian set down her fork, leaned back lazily in her chair, and replied lightly, her voice dripping mockery, “Do you even deserve it?”
Bradley was momentarily speechless. Though he was clearly in the wrong, her blunt honesty made him visibly uncomfortable.
12:45 Tue, Dec 31 OD
Chapter 7
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“How could you talk to Dad Uke that?” Mindy chimed in, annoyed She hadn’t been around yesterday but was here now
She was Bradley and Yetta’s daughter, the one Carol called a mach prodigy. She had effortlessly gotten into Jerisburg University and had been winning awards since she was a kid.
Under the table, Yetta gently nudged Mindy with her foot, signaling her to stop talking. Then, Yetta took a deep breath and said, “Lillian, no matter what happened, he’s still your father. You…”
Before Yetta could finish, Lillian calmly interrupted, “Just eat your food.” Her tone was soft, almost like she was soothing a child or playfully teasing a pet.
“You….” Yetta said through gritted teeth, her anger simmering
Feeling that her mother was not being treated with respect, Mindy shot back angrily, “What do you mean by that?”
“That’s enough. Mindy. Finish your breakfast and get ready for school,” Bradley intervened. Then he turned to Lillian and added, “I’ve taken care of your transfer papers. You’ll start at Sillview High in a few days.”
Lillian asked, “Why not Fillcrest High?”
“You think you can get into Fillcrest High? With your grades and attendance record, you’d just bring shame to the Wilson family, Mindy smirked.
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