Chapter 3: Be Good, Don’t Provoke Her
Chapter 3: Be Good, Don’t Provoke Her
Lily felt like she couldn’t breathe.
She unconsciously gripped the edge of her sleeve, her nails digging into her palms.
If he didn’t love her, why did he have to humiliate her like this?
It took a long moment for her to calm down, and when she finally looked up, she forced a smile at Mateo. “Mateo, you can’t just insult me like this just because I like you.”
Mateo froze. Perhaps it had been too long since he saw that smile on Lily’s face, and he couldn’t help but look at her a little longer.
But by the time he did, Lily had already lowered her head.
Mateo loosened his tie and stubbed out the cigarette with his fingers.
Lily had changed, and though he didn’t want to admit it, it was true.
She wasn’t as cheerful as she used to be.
She was like a broken vase, like a rose that had wilted…
It didn’t affect him, but it made him inexplicably irritated.
What was he annoyed about?
Pushing the confusing thoughts aside, he reminded her, “Eliza’s birthday party is soon. I’ll take you to the Foster family’s house, but remember, be good. Don’t provoke her. Eliza is nothing like you.”
Lily froze, her heart stabbing with pain.
In Mateo’s eyes, Eliza was a proud rose, while she wasn’t even worthy to be the leaves.
An hour later, Lily was shoved into a car by Adam.
The Foster family’s living room was packed with people.
Though Eliza was the fake daughter, every year for her birthday, the Foster family threw a grand celebration.
First, it was to show off the Foster family’s status in high society. Second, it was to show their support for Eliza and give her a sense of security.
Anyone who had a name in Washington was invited to the event.
In the living room, a group of wealthy women stood together, gossiping about the big families.
“Isn’t Eliza not even the biological daughter of Mr. Foster? Why is she so pampered? There must be something going on behind the scenes,” one woman wondered aloud.
“Well, she’s talented and has the skills. This circle values those things the most, right? Bloodlines don’t matter as much as bringing benefits to the family,” another woman agreed, nodding.
“I heard that Eliza closed several big deals for the company just six months after joining. A few days ago, Mr. Foster was so happy that he promoted her to Vice Director. Seems like he’s grooming her to be the heir,” said another woman.
“But even so, she’s still an outsider. Isn’t Mr. Foster basically giving the company away? What about her biological parents? Why doesn’t she go back to them?” someone else asked.
10:17
From His Cell to His Uncle’s Bede
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Chapter 3: Be Good, Don’t Provoke Her
“She couldn’t find them,” one of the women who knew the inside story answered.
“It’s strange, really. Jessica Reed, who adopted Lily, should have been Eliza’s mother. But when they did a paternity test, it turned out they weren’t
related.”
Lily clenched her fists upon hearing this.
She still hadn’t figured out why Eliza wasn’t related to Jessica.
She used to think that Jessica had swapped her for Eliza, but it turned out Eliza wasn’t her daughter either.
What went wrong? No one knew.
In the end, the result was this: Jessica lost her daughter, Lily went back to the Foster family, and Eliza’s origins remained a mystery.
Because of that, Eliza had lived in the Foster family for over 20 years.
Given the history of raising her, Mr. and Mrs. Foster treated Eliza just like their biological daughter, even better than Lily.
As the women continued gossiping, their gazes inadvertently shifted to Lily.
Noticing their attention, Lily lowered her head and quickly left the living room.
As soon as she stepped out, one of the women who had been talking asked, “Didn’t the woman who just walked by look a little like Lily?”
The others followed her gaze.
“Lily? No way! You know how stunning her face and figure are, right? That woman was so thin, she was just skin and bones. Was that really her? Are you joking?”
Forget about how different their auras were–Lily was the type who stood out even in a crowd of beautiful women.
But that woman just now…she barely stood out at all.
Lily had already reached the second floor and didn’t realize she had become the topic of conversation.
versatio
She was about to push open the door to her room when she overheard the conversation inside, and it felt like she had been thrown into an ice–cold
abyss.
“Mateo, I heard Lily got out of prison. Is it true?”
“Lily? The one who always chased after Mateo? When did she go to prison? What did she do?”
Since the Foster family wanted to save face, no one outside knew Lily had been in prison. Derek Foster, Lily’s father, had ordered the news to be blocked and told everyone she had gone abroad to study.
Mateo cast a cold glance at Erik Lane.
Erik immediately realized he had misspoken.
He slapped his forehead and, with a forced smile, fed Mateo the correct information. “Oops, I meant she came back to the country, Lily came back.”
One of the rich second–generation men, who had been holding a cigarette, chuckled. “You can say ‘back in the country‘ and make it sound like ‘out of prison, Erik, I think it’s not your mouth that’s off, but your brain that’s not working properly?”
Erik laughed awkwardly. “You’re full of jokes, I’m perfectly fine.”
The second–generation man circled back to the main topic. “Lily’s back in the country, huh? So, Mateo’s life’s gonna get more interesting now. If I’m not mistaken, you two were engaged three years ago, right? Mateo, when are you holding the wedding banquet?”
Lily froze for a moment at the door.
10:17
From His Cell to His Uncle’s Bed
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Chapter 3: Be Good, Don’t Provoke Her
She realized that her room had turned into their card–playing space.
Erik’s voice came through again, mocking, “Engagement? Are you serious? Getting married is just about having someone to control you. How boring. Mateo isn’t the type to be tied down by marriage, right?”
(4)
