Chapter 25: Uncle Wants to Take Us Away

Lily hadn't expected to run into anyone here, let alone Toby.

She'd only just taken his hand and looked up when she spotted a tall, composed figure crossing the room toward them.

Clarke glanced over.

His expression shifted instantly, and he shot to his feet. "Mr. Sterling?"

Adrian's brow flickered.

He gave a simple nod.

His gaze moved to Lily. "Take him home to bed when you're done here. I have a private dinner meeting."

She nodded.

"I'm traveling tomorrow," he added, "so Trevor won't be able to pick him up. Would you mind having him for the day?"

"Of course," Lily said, gentle.

As Adrian turned to leave, his sharp gaze swept over Clarke. "Business associate?"

Lily started to answer.

Clarke nodded rapidly instead. "Yes, Mr. Sterling, we've been partners for years."

Adrian gave a short nod and told Lily, "I'll head up."

Once he'd gone, Clarke pressed a hand to his chest and exhaled hard.

He turned to Lily, beaming. "How exactly do you and Mr. Sterling know each other, Mrs. Pierce?"

Toby piped up cheerfully, "It's because of me! I spend the day with Uncle and the night with Mom."

Clarke broke into a nervous sweat.

There had always been quiet rumors in the industry that Nathan's wife had been married once before an older man, apparently, with a son from the arrangement written into the divorce terms. He'd always dismissed it as gossip.

But now, connecting the dots

If that son had any real tie to Adrian Sterling, this woman's standing was clearly far more significant than anyone realized.

Clarke poured her tea with sudden, elaborate courtesy. "Mrs. Pierce, I've reconsidered. Let's do another year's contract. Times are tough for everyone right now I think we should give each other the benefit of the doubt."

"You've clearly got what it takes to run this studio. Let's take the year, see how it goes, and go from there. What do you say?"

Is this really just riding on Adrian's name? Lily wondered privately.

But when opportunity practically hands itself to you, only a fool turns it down.

She nodded, voice light and bright. "Deal. Starfall won't let you down. Though about Mr. Sterling. Please keep that quiet."

Clarke mimed zipping his lips instantly. "Not a word, I promise."

Not until the divorce is finalized, at least.

She had no intention of letting Nathan learn who Toby's family really was not until it was too late for him to use the boy as a bargaining chip with the Sterlings.

After dinner, Lily led Toby out of the restaurant.

"Uncle!" Toby pointed across the street.

Adrian sat in his car, window rolled halfway down, his sharp profile catching the streetlight composed, refined, unmistakable.

At the sound of Toby's voice, he turned, gaze steady. "Get in."

Toby tugged Lily along by the hand. "Mom, Uncle's giving us a ride! His car's so comfortable."

She let herself be pulled inside.

Trevor was driving up front. Lily, Toby, and Adrian settled into the back seat.

The silence that followed was thick enough to cut.

Lily broke it first. "Are you done with your engagement for the night, Mr. Sterling?"

"Would I be here otherwise?"

"...Right."

What started as mild awkwardness has now escalated to a level I could bury three floors deep.

The car took a sharp turn.

Toby lurched, but Adrian caught him around the waist before he could tumble.

Lily, meanwhile, slammed straight into Adrian's shoulder.

Up front, Trevor swore, flinging the door half-open as if he meant to confront someone directly. "You in some kind of hurry to meet your maker?!"

He'd been driving perfectly within the lines.

A car from the side road had swerved without warning straight into their lane.

If Trevor hadn't reacted in that fraction of a second and yanked the wheel

The two vehicles would have collided head-on at full speed. All four of them, gone, right there on the street.

Still rattled, Trevor's face had gone pale. "Sir everyone okay back there?"

"Fine," Adrian said, low.

Trevor exhaled, relieved.

Adrian settled Toby back onto his own lap, then turned to Lily. "You can let go now."

Her forehead was still pressed against his shoulder, head spinning slightly from the impact.

That's when she registered it her hand, gripping his arm like a vice.

She snapped back to herself instantly, releasing him like she'd touched something live. "I'm so sorry."

Adrian rolled his shoulder once, said nothing.

After a moment, Lily spoke up. "We should get a proper car seat for Toby. I'm having one installed in my own car tomorrow too I can send Trevor some brand recommendations, if that's useful."

Trevor, pleased to have something to do, jumped in. "That'd be great."

He hesitated, then added, "Sir, actually the Harlow Group makes car seats. I think they're considered the gold standard in the consumer market."

Adrian made a low sound of acknowledgment.

Then, without missing a beat: "Also arrange a full styling session for Miss Ashford tomorrow."

"Understood," Trevor said.

They pulled up outside the villa. Trevor eased to a stop.

Lily climbed out, Toby in her arms. "Thank you, Mr. Sterling."

Toby waved happily out the window.

Mrs. Collins rushed out to meet them, scooping Toby up and asking after Eleanor immediately.

"She's out of danger now," Lily said softly. "Four or five more days in the hospital, and she'll be discharged."

Mrs. Collins nodded, relieved. "Thank goodness. Thank goodness."

A little past seven, Melissa limped in from outside. "Mrs. Collins, could you make me a bowl of noodles and bring it up?"

She glanced toward the living room, spotting Lily. "Sister, you're back! I heard the studio moved where'd it end up?"

Lily didn't even glance up. "If you're that bored, go lick the floors clean."

Melissa smiled, undeterred. "Did you hear Nathan opened a new electronic fireworks studio? He put me in charge of it."

"I've never done anything like this before, honestly, so who knows if I'll be any good. But he said it doesn't matter whether it turns a profit, as long as I'm happy doing it."

Lily finally looked up, gaze flat. "Well. No one expects much from someone who's never delivered anything."

Melissa's expression soured. "You talk a big game, sister. Let's see whose studio actually does better your precious traditional fireworks, or my electronic line."

Lily scoffed. "Why would I bother comparing myself to you? You don't measure yourself against something beneath your league."

"Know your place. Take a good look in the mirror sometime. 'Brother this, brother that' if I didn't know better, I'd think you were about to lay an egg with how much noise you make over him."

Melissa's smile turned sharp. "Touched a nerve, did I?"

Lily's smile was pure ice. "Touched whose nerve? You don't even have a home of your own, and you've got the nerve to squat in someone else's house indefinitely. Even a bird builds its own nest. What exactly do you have? You're a parasite, plain and simple."

Melissa's face flushed deep red, jaw tight.

She stamped a foot and stormed off toward the stairs.

Lily turned back to her design sketches, unbothered.

After delivering the noodles upstairs, Mrs. Collins lingered near Lily, hesitant. "Ma'am I don't know exactly what's been going on lately, but I can't help noticing how cold you've been toward your husband."

"I'm not trying to lecture you. Just some hard-earned advice. When a man starts feeling shut out at home, that's exactly when another woman finds her opening to step in."

She used to shield him from exactly that kind of thinking too.

It hadn't stopped him from sleeping with Melissa six hundred and sixty-six times behind her back regardless.

When a man decides to stray, it's rarely ever about how his wife looks or acts.

It's rot that starts from somewhere inside him.

The smell.

The decay.

But Mrs. Collins meant well.

Lily managed a small smile. "Thank you. I'll keep that in mind."

She gave Toby his bath that evening, then retreated to the master bedroom.

The room was empty. She found herself drifting toward the balcony without quite deciding to.

...On your wedding night, I was out on that balcony, and we went at it until we were both drenched in sweat...

Melissa's taunt looped through her mind, relentless.

Suddenly, something like an iron fist closed around her stomach.

Twisting.

The pain hit so hard the veins stood out along her forehead as she doubled over, sinking slowly to the ground.

Right then, the bedroom door swung open.

Lily was startled to see Nathan he was supposed to be at the hospital with Eleanor.

He spotted her crouched on the balcony floor. "What are you doing down there? It's freezing out."

Cold sweat streaked down her face, her skin bleached white with pain. "Why are you back? Grandma's alone at the hospital"

He took a couple of steps closer. "I hired a caregiver to sit with her for now. Melissa's leg's been bothering her, so I'm taking her in to get it looked at. Get inside, you're white as a sheet. I need to head out."

He left.

Lily sagged against the wall, curling into herself, and let a slow, bitter smile spread across her face.

Smiling through it.

Cold sweat soaking her face like water.

She fought through the pain until three in the morning, still awake, still twisting under the sheets, when her phone rang.