She planned to confront Zoya, extort money from Layla and Brooks—she had to avenge the slaps she endured. Her mood was good until Royce called her halfway there.
Her phone had died the night before, and she only charged it after waking up. Seeing missed calls from Royce, she didn't return them. When a red light stopped her, she answered the call.
Royce seemed in a good mood, though his words were full of sarcasm.
"Lily, I really have to thank you this time. Because of your unreasonable troublemaking, Uncle Edmond agreed to let Nadia and me be together."
He always knew how to hurt Lily.
"The wedding won't be canceled, but the bride will be Nadia. Lily, congratulate me. I can finally marry the one I love and be rid of you."
Lily said nothing and hung up, focusing on the green light ahead. She felt a wave of sadness, pulling over for safety, her emotions too turbulent to drive. She didn't cry, but her sadness was evident, followed by a long exhale.
Royce was really marrying Nadia. Fine, let him. She wanted to see how long their love would last in the Zhou family environment.
After sitting in the car for a long time, Lily's mind buzzed with thoughts, mostly Aria's words: "Edmond is your best fallback."
Impulsively, she called Octavian. After getting a reply, she turned the car around and drove to Jingxiu Group.
"Uncle Edmond, do you need a wife?"
Lily decided to gamble. She had thought it through on the way: if Edmond, true to his word, agreed, she would win big and have Edmond as her support, walking proudly anywhere. If he refused, she would play it off as a joke and propose another request. No matter his answer, she wouldn't let herself be humiliated.
With the question asked, Lily's initial nervousness slowly subsided, and she calmly sipped her coffee, looking straight at Edmond.
Uncle Edmond, do you need a wife? Lily's question left a light yet significant mark on Edmond. After a brief pause, wary of misunderstanding and causing embarrassment, he sought clarification.
"What do you mean? Are you introducing someone?"
Lily, past her initial nerves, spoke calmly.
"No, I mean, if you need a wife, would I be suitable?"
The office fell silent, the kind of silence where one could hear a pin drop. Edmond's deep, cold eyes stayed on her, his long, pale fingers tapping rhythmically on his knee, his watch gleaming subtly, exuding an air of nobility and restraint. He was silent for so long that Lily sighed inwardly. This should be a rejection. Expected, she wasn't sad, just a bit regretful that she couldn't cling to such a sturdy support.
"Uncle Edmond, I was just joking. You..."
"Royce wants to marry Nadia, and I agreed."
Edmond interrupted Lily, noticing her calm expression, a knowing look flashed in his dark eyes.
"So, you know?"
Lily nodded. "Royce called me to provoke me."
Edmond asked bluntly, "Do you want to marry me because he provoked you? He got married, so you want to get married right away too? To get back at him?"
"Revenge?" Lily sneered and then self-deprecatingly said, "If he still cared about me, that would be revenge. Now, he can't stand me. If I get married, he wouldn't care at all. It wouldn't count as revenge; at most, I'd become his elder and it would annoy him to death."
Edmond was silent for a moment, then slowly asked, "So, why do you want to marry me?"
Lily thought of flattering him, saying it was because he was handsome, rich, and charming, but it felt too insincere, especially after entangling with his nephew for so many years. After much consideration, she confessed honestly.
"I have a lot of bad luck right now, and you said you'd agree to any request. So, I thought, since you don't have a wife, why not take a gamble? If I marry you, you'd be my backer, and no one would dare to bully me anymore."
She added, "I know this request is excessive. If you're unwilling, you can refuse. It's fine, I can ask for something else."
Edmond: "If you change your request, what would it be?"
Lily thought, as expected, this request was too much. She took a breath and said, "Could you make Royce sell the wedding house? I chose and designed it myself, and it took a lot of effort. If Nadia moves in, it will disgust me. If they're getting married, they should buy a new house."
Edmond regrettably said, "I've already had him sell the wedding house."
"Then I'll change my request again..."
"Let's go with the first one. I said any request, and I will keep my promise. I don't have a wife or a girlfriend. If you want the position of Mrs. Zhou, I can give it to you."
"Huh?" Lily was momentarily stunned by how smoothly she got what she wanted. Honestly, although she boldly made the request, she was only one percent sure of success. She was just betting on her courage.