Although she was already Alistair's fiancée, she had rarely met his friends.
Alistair had never introduced them. Among them, two faces were vaguely familiar from brief encounters at the Qin house, but they hadn't exchanged more than a few words before Alistair had whisked her away.
Since Alistair wasn't present at the moment, Aria wasn't as nervous and was more relaxed, chatting happily with the others. Lily had worried before arriving that they might bring up Royce or harbor ill feelings due to recent rumors.
Fortunately, her fears were unfounded. Edmond must have briefed them beforehand; no one mentioned Royce, and her unsavory past seemed nonexistent in this room.
They treated her solely as Edmond's newlywed wife.
Yucheng occasionally cast scrutinizing and curious glances at Lily.
They were indeed curious about her, considering her past antics.
When they first heard that Edmond had married Lily, they thought he'd lost his mind.
"Of all the women you could marry, you chose Lily?" they wondered.
Sure, Lily was beautiful. Tonight, she wore a maroon long dress beneath a short white down jacket, her hair in a bun, lightly made up—less aggressive than usual, yet still striking and elegant.
However, Lily was Royce's childhood sweetheart and nearly his fiancée. And Royce was Edmond's nephew.
The awkwardness of Uncle Edmond marrying his nephew's ex-fiancée was glaring.
When Edmond announced it in their group chat, their messages exploded with 99+ notifications, all advising him to reconsider.
"You can find plenty of beautiful women elsewhere, don't choose from within the family," they pleaded.
Edmond had simply replied:
"Lily is my lawful wife. I'm introducing her to you so you'll recognize her. If anyone makes her uncomfortable at the table, you'll have to answer to me.I chose my wife myself, and I don't need anyone's opinion. To me, she's the best. Be respectful and generous with your wedding gifts, and mind your words."
After that, they had nothing more to say.
They realized Edmond was resolute, so they woke up their own wives, instructing them to be respectful towards Lily.
If relations turned sour, Lily's pillow talk could get them in trouble.
The camaraderie between women is peculiar. When they click, they can chat endlessly.
Lily and the ladies in the room hit it off, exchanging WeChat contacts and chatting as if they were long-lost sisters.
The men were astonished.
They had prepped their wives to be polite, expecting reluctance, but here they were, bonding enthusiastically.
In the elegantly decorated private room, Edmond noticed Lily talking non-stop. While chatting with friends, he poured her a cup of warm water.
Lily accepted it with a thank you, glancing at him as she sipped.
He wore a black shirt and trousers, sleeves rolled up to reveal toned forearms.
His broad shoulders and slim waist hinted at a rugged, untamed strength.
How could he last only five minutes...?
When Edmond sensed her gaze, he followed her eyes to his waist, then elsewhere.
His breath hitched, and he felt a surge of heat, but dismissed it as his own wayward thoughts.
"I ordered a few dishes you like." Edmond, trying to cover his fluster, handed her the menu.
"See if there's anything else you want to add."
Pulled from her thoughts, Lily realized she had been thinking of inappropriate things. "I need to use the restroom."
There was a restroom in the room, but she needed a break from Edmond. Her mind kept drifting back to those "five minutes."
Lily went to the restroom at the end of the second-floor hallway.
The corridor was quiet, with few people around since everyone preferred rooms with river views.
As she walked, she tried to calm the heat in her face.
From a nearby staircase, she overheard voices.
"Royce, even if you broke up with Lily, you shouldn't have chosen Nadia. She might be fine as a mistress, but not a wife."
"Nadia is good to me. She's been patient."
"Patient? Please. She's just trying to fit in with us. She looked so out of place earlier, I felt second-hand embarrassment."
"I'm not embarrassed."
"Not embarrassed? Then why are you out here smoking? You should have married Lily. At least she's a proper heiress. Nadia just doesn't belong in our world."
Lily realized Royce was here with Nadia. She hadn't intended to eavesdrop, but she saw Nadia nearby, tearful. Their eyes met, and Lily waved cheerfully.
"Hello, niece-in-law."
Nadia, mortified, turned and fled. Lily called out, "Royce, your wife's running away." Nadia stumbled but kept going.
Before Lily could relish this small victory, she heard Alistair's angry voice, "Aria! Get back here!"
Lily had called out to Royce on purpose. Years ago, when Royce insisted on breaking off their engagement, she had overheard a similar conversation about herself at a bar.
"Lily's own family doesn't even like her. There must be something wrong with her."
"Exactly. Why else would they prefer the adopted daughter, Zoya? It must be Lily's fault."
"It makes sense for her mother to be upset. If Lily's father had inherited the family business, it would've been Royce's, not Edmond's. Lily ruined Royce's future."
"Lily and Royce must be a bad match. She's bad luck for him."
"And Lily's past scandal? She's not good enough for Royce."
Back then, Royce had stayed silent, drinking, not defending her.
She had overheard every word. Nadia had called her name, and everyone saw her, soaked from the rain, like a drowned rat. She'd been humiliated and furious, ready to fight anyone who insulted her.
Today, it was Nadia's turn to hear hurtful words.