"Uncle Edmond," Lily hesitated and reminded him, "Are you really sure? Don't joke around. I'm sensitive, and if you back out, I'll be devastated."
Edmond looked at her, his voice magnetic and deep. "I mean every word I say to you."
His words were warm, and Lily felt a bit touched, thinking mature men truly had charm. Every casual word seemed like a sweet nothing.
"But there's a condition." Edmond paused slightly, "You know my relationship with Royce. We are family and need to sit at the same table during holidays. If you marry me, you'll become his aunt. Won't you feel awkward when you meet?"
He looked at Lily, "If you can resolve this awkwardness, I'll marry you."
After all, marriage is not child's play. Her heart was still with Royce, and he feared she would regret it. So, he gave her time to think it through, enough time to be calm.
The news about Lily and Royce breaking off their engagement spread a week later. The Zhou family held a press conference without much explanation, simply announcing the engagement was off and the wedding canceled.
The alliance between the Jian and Zhou families had caused quite a stir initially. Everyone knew they were childhood sweethearts. Later, there were relationship problems, and the Zhou family wanted to call off the engagement, but the Jian family disagreed, causing ongoing entanglement.
Lily had a bad reputation, known for being arrogant and domineering. Many people speculated how long Royce could tolerate her. Unexpectedly, the engagement was broken off just three months before the wedding. Quite ruthless.
People guessed the reasons, but most watched Lily's misfortune while placing bets on how soon she would cause trouble, believing she wouldn't willingly give up on Royce.
When the press conference was held, Edmond was on a business trip in another province. He heard about it from Octavian upon returning to the hotel that night. It was too late to stop it, so he immediately called Royce.
"What's the meaning of the press conference? Ignoring my words? Royce, you've got some nerve!"
With Alistair's birthday approaching, Edmond planned for Nadia to publicly apologize to Lily to shift the criticism before announcing the engagement break. Royce had agreed to this.
"Uncle Edmond, it wasn't me, it was my mom." Royce felt wronged. He hadn't dared to openly defy his uncle; the press conference was held secretly by his mother. He had even tried to stop her.
His mother had been nagging about Lily, and in a moment of irritation, he let slip, "Uncle Edmond has agreed to break off the engagement with Lily." His mother was overjoyed and immediately wanted a press conference. He stopped her, avoiding mentioning Nadia and saying they'd wait for Edmond's return to discuss it. His mother had agreed but held the conference secretly while Edmond was away.
Edmond knew Royce wasn't lying. Because he wanted to marry Nadia, he wouldn't offend his uncle before the wedding. Edmond asked Octavian for Lily's number and called her.
"How are you?" Lily knew what he was referring to and had seen the press conference.
"I'm fine. I knew this day would come and was mentally prepared. I don't care what others say; I have thick skin." She lay on the bed with a face mask. "Let them laugh. The louder, the better. Once I marry you, I'll slap them in the face with our marriage certificate."
Edmond: "..."
Alright, her mood seemed fine. She should be okay.
Lily was indeed unaffected by the press conference because her mind was occupied with one thing. If she married Edmond, holidays would inevitably involve dining with Royce. This was a problem that needed solving.
Asserting her authority as an elder was satisfying, but her long-standing infatuation with Royce was embarrassing. The Zhou family wasn't easy to deal with.
If someone at the table brought up her past with Royce, it would disgust and embarrass Edmond.
If he got really angry, her life wouldn't be easy because she would have embarrassed him, and a man's pride is important.
How to resolve this? She needed to think carefully! The day after the press conference, Lily's phone was bombarded by Layla and Brooks, demanding she return home immediately. She ignored them until the next day when Leopold called.
"Lily, can you stop being so willful? Mom was so angry she was hospitalized. She just got out. Come back quickly!"
After hanging up, Lily grabbed her car keys and left.