This morning, around nine, Franklin came over.
"Auntie Lily said she's been free recently, Uncle Edmond. I just had a stroke of genius and falsely accused you of 'suspected infidelity.'"
As he was about to kick Franklin, Octavian entered, announcing that Qin Yingzhi had arrived downstairs.
Qin Yingzhi, Alistair's cousin, was here to discuss the amusement park project and to invest in it. They had arranged to meet today.
Upon hearing about Qin Yingzhi's visit, Franklin got excited.
"Ha, I was wondering where to find a decoy, and here comes one on her own."
Franklin planned to make Lily think he was getting close to another woman and that he was being cold to her, to trigger her sense of crisis.
Edmond disapproved of this method, knowing it would upset Lily.
Franklin said, "Uncle Edmond, Lily is my best friend before she's your wife. I wouldn't do anything to really hurt her. If you ever truly hurt her, I'd punch you myself."
When Edmond saw Lily in the elevator, his displeasure wasn't entirely an act according to Franklin's script. He genuinely felt uncomfortable. Why? Edmond's eyes fell on Lily's dress.
Although it was only inspired by a cheongsam, her figure was so stunning, with enticing curves. Earlier in the elevator, he noticed all the men staring at her with blazing admiration.
He didn't like it one bit and even felt a bit regretful since he had the dress custom-made for her. He wished he had asked for something looser. Tight-fitting dresses were for her to wear at home, for his eyes only.
Lily noticed Edmond's gaze, his expressions shifting between frowning and regret, making her uneasy. What did it mean? Was he comparing her to the woman they had just seen? Lily couldn't bear the uncertainty.
"Edmond, that woman just now..."
She couldn't betray Franklin, so she carefully chose her words.
"I saw you smiling at her. Who is she?"
Lily's question was exactly as Franklin had predicted.
"A major client of Jingxiu, an important one. I can't just keep a straight face all the time. Smiling is a courtesy."
He had smiled. They were talking about Alistair, and Qin Yingzhi mentioned how the Qin family was furious over Alistair breaking off his engagement with Aria. Last week, they held a critique session for him, and he had to escape by jumping out a window, injuring his foot.
Edmond knew this since Alistair had been hiding in his apartment. The image of Alistair limping was amusing, and that's why he had smiled, not because of Qin Yingzhi.
Unable to refute Edmond's words, Lily felt restless and decided to ask directly, "Do you like her?"
Following Franklin's advice, Edmond gave a five-word response, "She has a lot of personality."
Qin Yingzhi indeed had a lot of personality.
A strong career woman who was decisive in relationships—marrying when it felt right and divorcing when it didn't. At thirty-seven, she had been married four times. Her favorite was her third husband, with whom she had a son and a daughter. Now she focused on her career while her fourth husband happily took care of the children and was very clingy with her.
Alistair admired his cousin the most and always praised her, calling her a role model.
"Personality?" Lily's red alert was fully triggered. She had asked if he liked the woman, and he replied that she had a lot of personality. This clearly indicated his interest in her, didn't it? Lily suddenly stood up and walked towards the door.
Edmond instinctively grabbed her wrist, fearing she was genuinely angry, momentarily forgetting Franklin's script.
"I'm not ignoring you on purpose. I..."
"Ow!"
Lily didn't hear his explanation. She turned too quickly, hitting her knee on the sharp edge of the coffee table, making her legs go weak from the pain, and she fell forward.
Edmond caught her just in time.
The position was awkward. Because of Edmond's quick reflexes, Lily ended up straddling his lap, her arms around his neck.
Edmond's left hand held her slender waist, and his right hand gently rubbed her injured knee.
"Where are you going?"
Lily's knee still hurt, and her face was pale as she confessed, "To lock the door."
Edmond continued rubbing her knee, "Why do you need to lock the door?"
Lily's long lashes fluttered. She felt both wronged and embarrassed, hesitating for a long time. Under his surprised gaze, she pressed her fingers against the back of his head, leaned in, and used the kissing techniques she had learned from him, launching a bold kiss.
He was easily seduced and responded eagerly.
The temperature in the office kept rising. Eventually, Lily struggled to push him away, feeling incredibly embarrassed.
"You haven't... you know... for two months. I asked Franklin, and you guys have lunch break until 2:30."
She felt mortified, nestling in his chest, unable to lift her face, like an ostrich burying its head in the sand.
The hint was obvious.
Edmond understood instantly, his breathing becoming erratic.
The sensation hit him fast and strong.
Lily, sitting on his lap, could feel his reaction immediately.
She knew his prowess, so she felt a bit scared, her legs going weak.
Despite her fear, she felt comforted. His reaction meant he still desired her body, and if he liked it, that was manageable.
Lily withdrew her right hand from behind his neck, pointing to the door of the resting room not far away.
"Is there... a bed in there?"
Before she could finish, Edmond clasped her neck and pulled her close, gritting his teeth.
"Lily, please stop talking. Have mercy on me."
His desire for her was intense, but he wasn't shameless enough to take her in the office.
He couldn't indulge, but he could take a little interest.
Lily, having used up all her courage, was now pliant, letting him position her. He adjusted her on his lap and then pulled her closer.
It was unclear how much time passed, but if not for the sudden knocking, Lily would have thought he intended to take her tongue.
The knocking was urgent and loud.
Lily pushed against Edmond's shoulders, intending to ask him to let her down, but the person outside was already impatient.
Hearing the door open, Lily was bewildered, wondering who dared to open the boss's door without permission! She looked back.
Oh, it was Royce.
Royce had been quite anxious lately.
In Jingxiu, the second division was the star of the entire investment department.
From interns to directors, everyone had high qualifications. Any random person could be a master's or doctoral graduate from top domestic universities or financial elites returning from Wall Street.
The director of the second division was a renowned top investor in the industry. After Uncle Edmond took over Jingxiu, he brought this person along, and under his leadership, the second division thrived, handling major projects that sustained them for years.
Who in the investment department didn't want to join the second division? When the former manager of the second division resigned due to health reasons, Royce approached Uncle Edmond, who said there would be internal competition.
Royce privately treated the main competitors to drinks, putting in a lot of effort, confident in his chances.
Then Franklin was parachuted in.
Some said Uncle Edmond was crazy, some said he was grooming Franklin, and others said he was intentionally making things difficult for Royce.
"President Zhou was forced to marry a woman rejected by his nephew. That's humiliating, right? And now they're both in the same company. How awkward."
"President Zhou probably wanted to get rid of Royce long ago. But as an uncle, he couldn't be too harsh. So he brought in Franklin, the useless nephew, to provoke Royce."
"Royce wanted to join the second division, but Franklin's arrival probably infuriated him. He might end up requesting a transfer out of the headquarters."
Royce harbored some resentment towards Lily.
Why couldn't she leave Uncle Edmond alone? If she hadn't married Uncle Edmond, things wouldn't be so complicated.
Maybe Franklin wouldn't have come to the headquarters, and the manager position in the second division would be his. One day, he would replace the director and take over the entire investment department.