Chapter 9 The Painful Past

• "Want something to eat? Maybe some porridge, or I can get you a light meal, or something nutritious?" Conrad asked calmly, as if nothing had happened.
• Lillian felt confused, rubbing her forehead and realizing it was still warm.
• "What time is it?" Her voice came out raspy, like she was being choked.
• Conrad walked closer and touched her forehead. "Almost eleven. You've been asleep since last night."
• For a rare moment, there was a softness about him. She suddenly remembered being sick last year, too. She had called him three times, but he hadn't picked up. Instead, she was caught by reporters at an auction, because he was sending an actress home and buying her an expensive set of jewelry. Two weeks later, that actress became the spokesperson for the Brown Family Group.
• She had no right to be upset; she wasn't officially his girlfriend, just a woman he kept caged like a pet. A woman on his payroll had no right to expect love or loyalty. After recovering, she'd even had to think of ways to win him over again.
• She looked around the bed for her phone, and Conrad held it up, his tone light. "Looking for this?"
• She glanced up, and there he was, twirling her phone between his fingers. The cute pink case looked totally out of place with his cold demeanor.
• "Give it back!" She hadn't heard any updates all night and didn't know how her grandma was doing.
• Conrad spoke unhurriedly, "If you want updates, eat first."
• "Fine, I'll have porridge." Lillian knew him well enough not to argue. She was clear on what he wanted.
• He gave the order, and soon a bowl of warm porridge arrived. Nancy, who'd looked after her for three years, knew her taste exactly.
• Lillian had no complaints; the porridge melted in her mouth, cooked to just the right texture. Conrad sat by, watching her sip slowly.
• "I'm done," she said.
• "Six bites and you're full? A bird eats more than you." His expression darkened.
• Lillian wiped her mouth. "I'm not fighting with you, but my grandma's innocent. She's old, and if you cut off her meds and kick her out of the hospital, it could kill her."
• "We've been together three years. Can't we end things peacefully?"
• "I stayed by your side all night, and you wake up just to ask me that?" Conrad laughed coldly, brushing his fingers along her cheek, feeling her soft skin under his touch.
• "Lillian, did you forget what you said when you were clinging to my leg, begging me to have you?"
• Her pale, pretty face froze in shock.
• "Back then?"
• When her family went bankrupt, the Lewis family was hounded by shareholders. The villa was seized, and with nowhere to go, she had to rely on friends, only to be ridiculed as a washed-up heiress who needed to work for a living. Eventually, she had no choice but to stay with her uncle.
• Each night, she was overwhelmed by the sudden plunge into poverty and the painful longing for her family.
• She'd spent her first couple of decades in peace, enjoying all the good things in life. But when darkness came, she realized it was only the beginning of pain and hardship.
• When you're surrounded by luxuries, beauty and youth are celebrated by everyone around you. But when you're destitute, you're thrown to the wolves. Her options? Either be sent off by her uncle to some old man in exchange for resources, or find a more reliable backer.
• She had burst out of that booth surrounded by old men, desperate and disheveled, collapsing in front of Conrad. "Mr. Conrad, please, help me!"
• He'd lifted her chin with the tip of his shoe, looking down on her. "Get out of the way. Don't block my path."
• She'd clung to his leg, discarding her pride. "I'll pay you back! I'll work hard to pay you back, Mr. Conrad, please help me."
• "I've seen your type too many times. Didn't your father, Alvin, teach you to bring your best bargaining chip to the table?"
• At that moment, she understood exactly what he wanted. But he didn't give her any time to consider, sneering as he walked away.
• "Mr. Conrad, let me stay by your side," she pleaded. "I want to be your woman."
• The aristocratic man let out a cold laugh. "There's a line of people wanting to be my woman stretching all the way to City W. And what exactly makes you worthy?"
• Lillian wiped her tears. "I have my face and my body, and I've never had a boyfriend. From head to toe, I'd belong to you alone. Isn't that enough, Mr. Conrad?"
• He didn't say a word, just looked at her for a moment, then walked off. Just when she thought she was about to be dragged back into that booth, Ford showed up and got her out of there.
• It was in this bed that she became Conrad's woman. That night, he said he'd "inspect the goods" and checked her, over and over again.
• She'd clung to this powerful man of City N, and he really did shelter her for three years.
• "I did say I wanted to be with you forever, but that was when you were single."
• "So what's this? As a sugar baby, now you're trying to pick up your self-respect again? Are you bargaining with me or saying my price isn't high enough?" Conrad scoffed.
• Lillian chuckled bitterly. "I've been sleeping with you for three years, aren't you tired of me yet? Or that you're upset I bit back, right?"
• "Since you understand that, what exactly are you trying to do now? Think you can challenge my authority?"
• A fire lit up inside her. "I've been with you for three years, and not an ounce of affection? And now that you're getting married, you still care if I'm with you or not? What did my grandmother ever do to you?"
• "It's not your grandmother's fault; it's yours, for being a foolish, know-it-all idiot."
• Lillian's chest heaved with anger as she threw off the covers to get out of bed.
• "Where do you think you're going? Did I say you could leave?"
• "You want money, right? Fine, I'll sell myself. Turns out there's no shortage of people willing to pay me. I'll take my grandmother and leave right now."
• She'd barely taken two steps before he grabbed her wrist, pulling her back and pinning her down on the bed.
• "Who do you think you'll borrow from? Gordon?" He sneered. "You really think you're attractive enough that Gordon would go up against me for you?"
• Lillian finally realized that every move she made was under this man's watch. All because Gordon had dropped her off at her apartment that day.
• "What does Gordon have to do with anything?"
• "Oh, so who was it? That old Mr. Mark who could be your dad?" Conrad looked at her with a mocking smile. "You're my woman. Even a single hair on your head is mine. Who dares to touch you?"
• Lillian snapped, unable to take any more. "What's the problem? Evelyn doesn't want to be slept with by you or doesn't like you, so you come to torment me? Three years and you're still not tired of me?"