Ch. 441..450
Spoiled by Mr. Russell Chapter 441
Lily remembered that her grandfather was not someone who admitted defeat. He would get up at five in the morning every day to exercise. Even though Wilfred was old, he was still very fit. Wilfred could stand straight and run as fast as the wind those days.
However, Wilfred was in a wheelchair now. He used to prefer standing compared to sitting down. Even though he said it was nothing, it was apparent how much pain he was in that he used a wheelchair.
“It‘s okay!” Wilfred felt embarrassed when Lily looked at his knees, so he pulled his blanket over his lap.
“How long has it been since you left the Lodge family?” “It‘s been seven to eight years, I think.” Lily‘s eyes dimmed when Wilfred asked her that.
“To be precise, it‘s been seven years and three months,” Justin answered promptly. Lily was rendered speechless. “Looks like you were able to get used to life outside. That‘s good, then.”
She was surprised by everything Wilfred had said today. She thought they would argue or quarrel, but that did not happen. He looked more like an ordinary and kind grandfather instead.
“Grandpa...” “You have a new boyfriend?” The conversation changed as he asked her a personal question.
Lily was stunned for a moment and nodded, “Yeah.”
“Does he treat you well?” He asked again.
“Yes,” She answered. However, she felt that one word was insufficient to represent how good Alexander was to her and emphasized again, “Very good!”
“Are you sure he‘s serious about you? When did he know you‘re from the Lodge family?” Justin voiced up again.
Lily said with certainty, “I‘m sure he‘s serious about me. So am I about him. I know I was willful before, but trust me. I might‘ve been wrong once, but I never repeat the same mistake twice.”
Justin wanted to continue saying something, but Wilfred raised his hand and stopped him. The older gentleman looked out the window and pouted toward a person downstairs, “Is that him?”
Lily followed his line of sight and looked down. She saw Alexander walking in this direction under the guidance of a servant. Her heart felt warm, and her eyes became gentler. She nodded in reply, “Yeah.”
“Alexander Russell. The head of the Russell family does have some capabilities. Your choice this time is commendable.”
She did not hear any objection from Wilfred‘s tone. However, what did he mean by her choice this time was commendable? Did he mean that her previous choice was terrible? Looking back, her selection the last time was indeed wrong. Reality had taught her–the hard way–that Nathaniel was a sc*mbag and not worthy of her.
“Master,” the servant called from outside. It seemed that Alexander had arrived.
“Let him in.” The door opened, and the servant took a step back. Alexander walked in and looked around the room immediately. Only after he found Lily did he visibly relax, as he likely felt relieved.
Wilfred smiled faintly, “Alexander.” He called him by his first name.
Alexander was not surprised by this. He walked toward Wilfred, bent down, and politely stretched his hand. “Mr. Lodge, I wish you a long and prosperous life.”
Wilfred looked at his outstretched hand but did not shake it. Instead, he said, “You still call me Mr. Lodge?”
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Although Wilfred‘s voice was grand, his expression was peaceful.
Alexander was stunned. He looked at Lily, had a realization, and immediately said, “You‘re right.” He retracted his hand, took a bow, and said respectfully, “As your grandson–in–law, I wish you great fortune and a long life.”
“G–Grandson–in–law?” The old man of the Lodge family was stunned and he widened his eyes. Were the young people nowadays so wanton in their actions?
One moment it was Mr. Lodge, and the next he declared himself the grandson–in–law.
“The Lodge family does not recognize you yet.” The usually steady Justin was not able to contain himself.
Wilfred had seen a lot in life. He raised a hand to calm Justin down, then said dryly, “Alexander, you are of the older generation. It‘s reasonable for you to address me the way Lily does, but to call yourself my grandson–in–law… that‘s premature, isn‘t it?” As a whole, they had not recognized the relationship between the two yet. Thus they would not recognize Alexander as a relation.
Alexander glanced at Lily. She was blinking, speechless. He could guess that she had not told her family about her relationship with him yet, so he did not push. He said, “It‘s okay. I can wait. May it be sooner or later, I‘m here to stay.”
Mr. Lodge was speechless.
Justin was speechless. Lily was speechless as well, thinking of him as assertive. Wilfred decided that this topic was embarrassing. Furthermore, it was a sensitive topic, so he changed the subject, “I heard that La Beaute Group has expanded to more than ten countries recently?”
“We are only dabbling,” Alexander answered humbly.
They were far from dabbling. They had a company based in each country, and the market share in the countries was far from modest.
La Beaute Group specialized in makeup. They had gotten involved in the movie and advertising industry and were dominant in the business. To have such a large market share overseas was very impressive.
When it came to business, Justin respected Alexander a lot. They were the same age, but Justin was far behind in business. Furthermore, the Russell family used minimal manpower to expand and establish themselves as one of the four prominent families. They managed to prosper.
However, that was a different topic altogether. Just because he was good at business did not mean he would make a good son in–law. In the past, even someone unimpressive like Nathaniel was not serious about his relationship. What more a person of Alexander‘s status? How serious he was about Lily was still yet to be seen.
“I‘ve known your father for a long time but have not spoken to him in a while. How is he doing?”
Lily was surprised to hear her grandfather say this. She never thought that her grandfather knew Alexander‘s father. She forgot she had never met his parents after being together so long. “He‘s in good health. He and my mother are traveling the world. I don‘t meet him very often.”
After listening to his explanation, Lily understood. It was no wonder she had never met them. It turned out that they were visiting different countries. “Traveling the world is great.” Tapping his fingers against his wheelchair, Wilfred was thoughtful. “It‘s best to travel while you‘re young and have a strong body. If I tried to travel now, I wouldn‘t be able to.”
While he stroked his leg, he sounded crestfallen. “If you wish to travel, it‘s possible. We could accompany you,” Alexander said with a smile after he cast Lily a glance.
His expression comforted Lily. It even felt like encouragement. She suddenly found the courage to walk over and grab Wilfred‘s hand. “Yes, Grandpa, if you wish to travel, we can go with you.” Wilfred was very touched when she grabbed his hand. He looked down at her hand on his with a complicated expression.
Spoiled by Mr. Russell Chapter 443
“Grandpa, the party is about to start,” Justin said as he looked at the time.
“Okay.” Coming back to his senses, Wilfred nodded. He looked at Lily with a questioning gaze.
Lily shook her head. “Grandpa, I won‘t be going. I don‘t like crowded places, as you know.”
“Oh.” Wilfred did not say much and turned to Alexander.
Alexander immediately put his hand on Lily‘s shoulder. “I won‘t go either. I‘ll stay with her.” With a slight smile, Wilfred said, as if to gratify them, “In that case, do stay. I‘ll get someone to prepare two rooms. Stay two days before leaving, okay?”
The final sentence was for Lily as if begging for her agreement. Seeing her grandfather asking that way, Lily was flattered. She hurriedly nodded and said, “Alright, if you wish.”
Hearing that, Wilfred was very satisfied and he flashed a relaxed smile. “Justin, let‘s go.”
Justin responded affirmatively, walked forward to grab the wheelchair, then looked at Lily. “Someone will take you both to your rooms.”
“Okay.”
Lily nodded, then walked out of the room, seeing the two off to the building ahead.
Not long afterward, the butler arrived. “Ms. Christian, Mr. Russell, come with me.”
Leading them upstairs, he arranged a room for each of them. Most importantly, the two rooms were at opposite ends. They were very far apart.
Lily was speechless but Alexander looked calm and did not seem to mind.
“Ms. Christian, you must be tired. Please get some rest. If you need anything, feel free to call me. Someone will send you food soon,” the butler said.
He had thought of everything. It was the rooms he assigned that were suspect.
“Butler, aren‘t the two rooms quite far apart?” Just looking at the other end took effort. One look and she knew that it was far away, let alone having to walk over. The butler bowed. “It was an order by Mr. Justin Lodge. Mr. Russell is a guest so he deserves the best guest room.” He spoke respectfully, but the implication was clear. Alexander was an outsider, so he could only stay in the guest room. It was already considered a good thing that he was allowed to stay.
“But...”
Lily had more to say, but Alexander stopped her. “It‘s okay. I‘m happy with the sleeping arrangements.” Lily said nothing. She would stop pursuing the topic if that was how he felt about it.
The butler responded to him, “As long as you‘re happy, Mr. Russell. Alright, I won‘t disturb you two anymore.”
The butler left the two of them behind. Lily couldn‘t help but say, “Why didn‘t you let me protest? Do you want to stay so far away from me?”
“Do you think your words would change anything?” Alexander laughed and put his arms around her waist, pulling her toward him so she could lean against his body. “Didn‘t you hear that your cousin had ‘purposefully‘ arranged this? There‘s no need to make things difficult for the butler.”
He had emphasized the word “purposefully” with a smile. “Why? Will you miss me?” he asked softly at her forehead.
Spoiled by Mr. Russell Chapter 444
“That‘s right. I‘ll miss you.” Lily was not shy. She boldly put both arms around his neck and said, “What if you miss me?”
“No matter what, there‘s always a solution,” he laughed lightly, then bent forward to peck her on the lips. “Look in your room.”
It was the room she always had at the Lodge family residence. Lily pushed the door open and was instantly touched.
Her room was maintained the way she had left it. The things inside were untouched, but the room was clean. It was obvious that the room was cleaned frequently while the items were undisturbed.
The only difference was that the beddings were new. They seemed to have been dried under the sun and looked very comfortable.
However, there was no heater in the house. Alexander noticed that there was no air–conditioning either. The space felt stuffy.
“There‘s no air–conditioning in the room?” He walked another round to ensure that he had not missed something. True enough, there was no cooling system. When he said this, Lily remembered, “I forgot to tell you that the Lodge home has no air–conditioning or heater. You‘ll have to endure it through the night.”
“There‘s really no air–conditioning?”
He found this hard to believe. It was the age of technology. Even ordinary households had to air–condition, so what more a family like the Lodges? Of course, the reason the Lodge family didn‘t have air–conditioning was not that they couldn‘t afford it but because they were not keen on it.
“You know there‘s a rumor that the Lodge family is an old kickboxing family. Everybody in the family participates in it.” Lily sat on the bed as it was more comfortable.
Alexander nodded. “I‘ve heard that rumor.”
“The rumor is true,” she said faintly as she turned to him,” Since young, I was forced to practice kickboxing. As a child of the Lodge family, practicing it is like eating or sleeping. Whether you like it or not, it‘s something you must do. Grandpa‘s belief that we must suffer, go hungry, and endure the cold may be tied to training. To live up to the expectation, the Lodge family home does not have air–conditioning or heaters.”
“It‘s freezing during the winter and blazing hot during the summer. These are all natural. Grandpa says that we must be able to acclimatize to the weather and not get spoilt.” Her expression looked innocent. “So...”
“That‘s why there is no air–conditioning, and even the interior design is simple?” No wonder when he stepped into the house, he thought that the place was... too basic.
There were basic furniture and electronics but no luxuriously decorated spaces. The Lodge residence was no comparison for even the most minimalist of designs. “Now you understand how I felt the first time I saw your house?” Lily said, half joking.
Although the Lodge family was a big family, they had a different culture. They were the most frugal. Therefore she thought that Alexander‘s mansion was overly luxurious.
The Lodge family covered a large area, but not much was in it. On the other hand, Alexander‘s mansion was renovated to be highly luxurious. The contents were of the latest technology. Although he was the only one living there, there was nothing down–to–earth in the house.
“Correction. It‘s our house,” he said as he placed a finger on her lips. “Right.” Lily smiled and stretched her waist before lying down. In her opinion, it was better now. “At least now, I don‘t have to wake up early every day to run, not risk getting attacked at night.” !
In the past, she had to wake up at dawn every day to run. At night, she might get ambushed by an aggressor. According to her grandfather, practicing martial arts meant always being on guard. Still... what a pain to be on guard even when she was sleeping at home!
Alexander was speechless. That was ridiculous! He laid down next to Lily, looked at the ceiling, and said, “I have a bad feeling about something, though.”
Spoiled by Mr. Russell Chapter 445
It was such a cold day. Even without an air conditioner, the house felt more like an igloo.
“Even the guest rooms have no air conditioners? Does your family have to torture their guests too?” Alexander was amused.
There were so many guests here to attend the celebration. Surely not all of them were going to leave on the same day. They would likely stay the night. Did they have to endure the cold too?
Lily shook her head. “The block in front is for the visitors. The few guest rooms there have air conditioning. Back here is where the Lodge family resides.”
The message was that the family was not allowed to enjoy the luxuries, but outsiders could. When Alexander heard her, he felt that something was wrong. After thinking for a while, he said, “Does that mean I‘m one of you guys?”
‘If not, why else would they assign me to a room with no air conditioner?‘
“You‘re right. Logically, that is what it means.” Lily nodded thoughtfully.
Alexander could not decide if he should be happy or sad.“ What an honor!”
The two joked for a moment, but they started to feel cold lying there.
It was not the right time to strip and snuggle under the comforter, so they got up. “Let‘s go downstairs and look around. I‘ve been here twice already, but I‘ve not had the chance to look around yet.”
The last time Alexander was here, out of social obligation. He came here for a short engagement and then left. He did not have the chance to look around the residence, let alone stay here. But today, Alexander was here for a different reason. His mood was different too.
Lily hesitated but did not refuse. The couple put on their coats and headed for the courtyard.
The banquet in the building in front was boisterous and crowded. Given the Lodge family‘s status, many came to offer their good wishes. Besides those who were there to visit, they had many disciples too.
Since the family was entertaining guests in front, the courtyard was tranquil. It started to snow. The place was slowly covered in white, giving off a unique vibe. The snow in Brown City was not heavy, not to mention that compact. Their feet produced a “creak” sound when they stepped on the snow. They left behind a row of footprints.
The couple linked hands and walked a distance when Lily turned back and saw the big and small footprints. The big ones were Alexander‘s, and the small ones were Lily‘s. After looking at the footprints, she had an idea, so he pulled away from Alexander and said, “Wait here.”
She walked carefully to an empty spot, one foot after the other. Although she sauntered, each step was steady and robust. After she walked one round and left the spot, the empty area in the snow revealed a heart shape.
Lily clapped her hands and admired her “masterpiece,” confident that her heart shape looked good. “Not bad, huh?”
Alexander smiled at her. Similarly, he walked around the edges of the heart and, at one point, close to her heart. Afterward, what was left was a big heart shape around the small heart shape.
Raising his eyebrows, he said, “Mine isn’t bad either.”
“You‘re biased. Mine is better looking,” Lily pointed out the flaws in Alexander‘s heart shape while scrunching her nose.
“It‘s not important if it looks good or not. What‘s important is that you‘re in my heart.” Alexander disregarded what Lily said. He felt satisfied looking at the two hearts.
Lily was delighted with his sweet talking and smiled brightly.
She once spent a lot of time practicing kickboxing in this courtyard, training the different skills. There were different zones in the space, each for a different skill set. Lily had seen this courtyard as nothing more than a training ground since she was a kid.
Spoiled by Mr. Russell Chapter 446
Now, the thick snow covered Lily‘s memories of this place, perhaps because she could depend on the person next to her. It was as if the courtyard was not the one she once knew, even though it was the same.
“Are you feeling cold? Do you want to go back?” Alexander held Lily‘s shoulders, worried she would feel cold.
Lily smiled. “It‘s not going to be much warmer when we go back. If we run around here, it won‘t be as cold.”
That was the truth since their room was chilly. Especially now that there was nobody around, it would feel even colder. “If you‘re uncomfortable, we don‘t have to stay here tonight. Let‘s go home,” Alexander suggested after some thought. It was hard to imagine how Lily survived all this for many years.
Alexander had interacted with the Lodge family a few times through business, but nothing extensive. He did not know they had such old–fashioned thinking.
“I grew up like this, so it is no big deal. I‘m worried that you‘re not used to it instead.” It was not that she was not used to it. It was just that it had been a long time since she last came back. Thus, it took some adjusting.
When a person was comfortable for so long, they would not want to return to suffering times. “If you can get used to it, I will have no trouble doing so.” Alexander had more to say, but Lily raised her hand to hush him, her eyes looking diagonally forward.
After being stunned for a while, Alexander followed her line of sight and faintly saw a person.
The Lodge family courtyard was full of trees and plants. Diagonally across was a grove of fruit trees, which a thick layer of snow had settled. Somebody was among the trees, but the person’s face was not visible.
“You know that person?”
Alexander could not see the person clearly, but based on Lily‘s reaction, it was somebody she knew. It was nothing out of the ordinary meeting someone familiar or an old friend in her family‘s courtyard, so Alexander did not think much of it.
Still, Lily said, “I think it‘s someone I want to meet. Wait here.”
Waving her hand, she headed toward the person. She did not call out names as she walked over and was careful with her movements. It was as if she was worried about frightening the person.
Alexander had never seen Lily this way. He frowned and followed after her. It was impossible to be completely silent when walking on snow, especially when there were two people. Following the noise, the person immediately became alert and turned around.
“Is that really you?!” Lily called out gleefully as she clapped her hands when she saw the person‘s face.
The person was surprised. “You...”
“Haha. I was wondering where you were. Fancy running into you here,” Lily said as she ran toward him.
The person was speechless, and Alexander was too.
‘What was going on?‘ “Why are you here?” the person asked, curious. He did not expect to meet Lily here. “I should be asking you that!”
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Lily did not expect to see the young man she had been trying so hard to find in her family‘s backyard. He looked like he did not change much except that there were no more sparkles in his eyes. There was a gloomy atmosphere surrounding him instead.
“Everyone who‘s here today has the same purpose,” Benedict stated as he raised his head nonchalantly and glanced toward the banquet hall.
“Then why aren‘t you inside?” Lily asked.
“You‘re not either.” Benedict looked at Lily.
Although Benedict looked less happy than his previous self, he was still the same mouthy kid.
“You still owe me an explanation. Why did you quit all of a sudden? You were the one who promised that you‘d handle the job I gave you properly, but then you just disappeared without even a text or a phone call,” Lily could finally voice out her dissatisfaction after keeping it inside for such a long time.
When Benedict heard what she said, his eyes became further clouded. He did not try to explain and just mumbled, “I had my reasons. Also, I‘ve sent you the finished product and didn‘t even charge you. So, we‘re even,” Benedict said.
He was standing with his hands in his sky–blue padded jacket‘s pockets. He looked outstanding amid the snowy landscape, his blue jacket making him look younger and refreshed.
Lily shook her head. “How are we even? You didn‘t even give me the raw materials! Where‘s my wood?” She finished and extended her palm toward him. They agreed that Lily could take home the special wood he had as a distinctive fragrance from the wood attracted her. She took a small sample back home and wanted to return for more.
“I don‘t have it,” Benedict answered outrightly.
“You...” Before Lily could finish, footsteps came from behind, and a voice called out, “Benedict.”
When Benedict heard that voice, his face dropped slightly, and his body tensed with a slight annoyance. “Bene...” Just as Derrick was about to call out to Benedict again, he noticed another person standing beside Benedict, so he stopped and approached them instead. He turned to look at the boy, whose back was still facing him, and then at Lily.
Derrick was a middle–aged man who looked stern and severe. He looked good for a man his age, very well–groomed, even though there were signs of gaining weight. Derrick had a pair of sharp eyes that could stare into people‘s souls. Lily was initially surprised by his sharp stare when he looked at her.
“Why are you out here?” He asked Benedict. Although Derrick saw Lily standing there, he made no moves to acknowledge her presence. Lily did not care, as she was only curious about who this man was.
“It was too crowded inside, so I wanted to come out for some fresh air,” Benedict replied without turning around or looking at him.
“Are you done? Can you go in now?” Derrick demanded forcefully. He briefly paused and added, “Most of them are still waiting to see you. You shouldn‘t be rude, so go and say hello.” Benedict said nothing–instead, he turned around and started walking back to the banquet hall obediently. He stole a glance at Lily.
Lily could tell Benedict was uncomfortable but had no choice. Maybe it was because of Benedict‘s eyes, or she was just uncomfortable with the middle–aged man‘s tone. Lily did not give it much thought when she opened her mouth to stop Benedict, “Wait, you can‘t just leave. We‘re not done yet!”
She had finally managed to attract Derrick‘s attention. He stopped in his tracks and turned to glance at her.
Spoiled by Mr. Russell Chapter 448
Derrick‘s eyes were like laser beams scanning her from head to toe coldly. His eyes contained no warmth as if to express displeasure at her behavior. The moment he looked at her, Lily felt a shiver down her spine, but then she realized she did not need to fear him as he was just a nobody to her. After adjusting her perspective, she felt better and stood erect, holding his gaze firmly.
Derrick was surprised that this young woman had such courage in her and was not intimidated by his stare. He frowned and was about to open his mouth to speak when someone interrupted them.
“Mr. Tanner,” Alexander, who was watching the whole ordeal from not too far away, decided to step in. He came over and stopped to stand next to Lily. Derrick was surprised to see Alexander, “Alexander Russell?” “I didn‘t see you inside, so I assumed you had sent someone else to attend on your behalf. I didn‘t expect to see you here,” Alexander spoke eloquently without offending anyone.
“I was running late due to the heavy snow,” Derrick nodded his head at Alexander and explained. His attitude toward Alexander was much more civil than the rude behavior he showed Lily.
Alexander smiled politely and turned his gaze toward the young man standing next to him, “This is?”
Derrick moved aside and tugged Benedict‘s sleeve, “This is my son, Benedict. Benedict, this is La Beaute Group‘s director, Alexander Russell. You can call him Alex.”
Lily was so surprised when she heard their exchange. Was Benedict from the Tanner family? As in the most prominent family from Ruby city? Judging from how he spoke to Alexander and that he was here for her grandfather‘s birthday party, they were most likely from Ruby City‘s Tanner family.
This was such an astonishing fact. Never did Lily guess that this teenage boy who loved woodcarving, who was a bit bad tempered yet still a cute kid, was actually from the famous Tanner family. It was such a small world indeed.
Benedict looked at Alexander and mouthed quietly, “Mr. Russell.”
Obviously, not comfortable with calling Alexander ‘Alex.‘ Alexander did not care about what Benedict called him, but Derrick was unhappy with his disobedience and glared at Benedict harshly.
“Alex, the banquet is about to start. Why don‘t we go in,” Derrick said, reaching for his son‘s sleeve. “Let‘s go!”
However, before he could grab him, Benedict moved out of his way, not wanting to be touched. This made Derrick‘s face darken as he was about to burst out in anger.
“Mr. Tanner, I still have some unfinished business with Benedict. May I borrow him for a moment?” Lily stepped in and addressed Derrick the same way Alexander did.
“Who might you be?” Derrick frowned. He had no recollection of Lily and could not recall which family she was from.
Alexander raised his arm and gently embraced her, “She‘s my... fiancee.” He almost said ‘wife‘ instead but managed to stop himself.
The other two were surprised by this, “Fiancee?”
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Even Derrick could not hide his obvious shock. Though it was a private matter, for people with their status in society, the only way that you could meet your partner was most likely from an arranged marriage. It was impossible for news not to travel if someone from their social hierarchy got married or was engaged
Alexander was always deemed an eligible bachelor in most women‘s eyes. They were all dying to date him or even try getting married to him. However, there was never a rumor about him dating or being interested in anyone.
He was always only focused on his work and how to build up the Russell family. Now getting the news of his engagement so suddenly was a shock to Derrick, plus it was coming from Alexander himself. It was just unbelievable.
“Fiancee?” Benedict yelled with his eyes wide–opened, looking at Lily.
“Enough, Benedict!” Derrick reprimanded him sternly for his rudeness.
He immediately regained his composure and addressed Lily politely, “This was surprising yet wonderful news. How should I address this young lady then?” “Hello, Mr. Tanner. My name‘s Lily Christian,” Lily extended her hand politely toward him for a handshake. He was, after all, a family friend and an elder.
Derrick hesitated for a moment. Her name sounded familiar to him. He pondered for a short while before asking, “You‘re Mr. Lodge‘s granddaughter?”
This time, Lily was more surprised than he was. The Lodge family had always kept a low profile, plus they had a lot of extended family members and several apprentices, so not many people knew exactly who was from the main family except the few famous ones.
This was also why no one knew about Lily‘s background when she left the Loge family to fend for herself.
Naturally, it was unexpected when Derrick accurately predicted who she was and asked if she was Mr. Lodge‘s granddaughter. This only meant that he had close ties with the Lodge family.
Since he had already guessed, Lily just nodded her head and admitted, “Yes, I am.”
“I see. So, you‘re his granddaughter,” Derrick repeated. Lily could sense something in his tone, but she did not know what it meant, so she smiled politely at him. He then turned to Alexander and added, “Alex, you have good taste.”
“Thank you, my thoughts exactly!” Alexander smiled and glanced at Lily. She could see that he was boasting.
“Mr. Tanner, if you don‘t mind, I‘m friends with Benedict and would like to talk to him about some things. Could I borrow him for a few minutes?” Since the atmosphere was less tense, Lily decided to voice out her request.
Maybe it was because he knew of her identity now, or he was being nice on behalf of Alexander. Derrick looked at his son and said, “Since you‘ve made some new friends, you should spend some time getting to know each other!”
He then turned around and walked back toward the banquet hall. The tense atmosphere eased further as Derrick left. Without the presence of an older person, all of them could finally relax.
When Lily turned around to glance at Benedict, she noticed that he was studying her closely with a strange expression on his face. She immediately walked toward him.
“Benedict Tanner,” Lily said. His family‘s name was Tanner, so the young carpenter she met at a small wood carving store was actually a member of the Tanner family from Ruby City. Benedict raised his eyebrow in confusion. His name sounded strange from the way Lily was saying it.
Spoiled by Mr. Russell Chapter 450
Lily extended her palm toward Benedict and continued asking, “Where‘s my wood?”
Benedict was speechless at her stubbornness. “I don‘t have it anymore. I‘ve used all of them,” he said simply.
Lily could tell that he was lying from his reaction, “I don‘t care! You‘ve made a promise, and since you finished using them, you can start from scratch and plant them. Everyone should honor their promises, even if you‘re a kid!”
Lily was so serious about her wood that Benedict could not convince her to let it go, so he looked at Alexander for help,” Why aren‘t you even trying to stop her?”
Alexander just shrugged nonchalantly.
Realizing he was on his own, Benedict said helplessly, “Why are you so obsessed with that piece of wood? You wanted me to make a birthday gift for you, so I did. Why are you still so determined to get that piece of wood back?”
Lily would not mind explaining to him why she was so fixated on it, but Benedict‘s attitude was awful, so Lily just said, “It‘s none of your business! You were the one who had made that promise.”
Seeing that Benedict was being forced into a corner and his face red from the argument, Alexander decided to step in, “If it‘s difficult for you, we could go over to your place to get it. If it‘s about the price, don‘t worry. Name your price, and we‘ll pay it,” He paused before continuing, “Lastly, if...if it‘s because you have some problems that you could not tell us outright, maybe we could help you in some way or another?”
Lily remained silent on his side, but she nodded in agreement.
“It‘s not that I have any problems, but I don‘t carry that piece of wood around with me all the time,” Benedict smacked his lips and looked at Lily, “If you want it that badly, then please wait until next week. I‘ll bring it to you personally.”
Lily was relieved that he finally agreed, “Really?”
“Yes!” Benedict felt humiliated by her suspicions of him, so he added, “Why would I lie to you?”
“Fine then. I‘ll wait till next week,” Lily nodded and lowered her hand in satisfaction. Then, she recalled something and quickly questioned him, “Did you change your phone number? What if you disappear again and refuse to pick up my calls?”
This time, before Benedict could speak, Alexander interrupted, “Don‘t worry, even if he disappears, the Tanner family is still there. We‘ll have to go to them. Besides, I believe that young Mr. Tanner here is a lad that wouldn‘t break his promise twice, right?”
Benedict clutched his fists tightly on his sides and drew his lips into a thin line before replying in determination, “I–I‘ll keep my promise this time!” Then, he turned around and left. His footsteps were hurried, but he kept his head high and back straight in determination.
“If you continue to stare at him, I‘ll get jealous!” Alexander started childishly as he took off his coat and placed it over her shoulders, worried that she would catch a cold from standing outside for so long.
Lily looked at Benedict‘s retreating back, then shifted her gaze to Alex and commented, “I never expected this.”
“Expected what?” Alexander asked.
“That he was a Tanner,” she lamented. “I know that Mr. Tanner had a son. He had high hopes for his son as this was his successor, so his son grew up in a rigorous environment. I never expected him to be Benedict.”
It was also somewhat expected as she had not returned to the Lodge family for a long time. It also made sense that she had never seen Benedict before, but Alexander had no recollection of seeing this boy at their social events.
“At the end of the day, we live in such a small world,” Alexander sighed while looking up at the sky, “It‘s snowing again. Shall we head back?”
Lily looked around her and noticed snowflakes were falling on the ground. She nodded and walked with him back to the building behind them.