ke the pricey suit he was wearing, the burden of the day hung over him. A flurry of faces, handshakes, and

es locked, he could still feel the lightning and taste the air between them. He was aw

survival in the competitive economic environment as well as for the heritage of his family. He

le times. "Richard," As usual, Maxwell Thornton's voice was clipped. "What is it?" Richard flex

ng on the other end of the pause. Maxwell Thornton was a man who demanded a lot but said little. "All right," he said. But Richard, I need you

here's another, more pressing issue. Maxwell's voice remained the same. "What do you mean?" "The Parker

f Maxwell's gentle sneer. His father had always been all about power and control, an

"Dad," Richard pressed, his chest heaving with mounting annoyance. Money isn't the only factor here. You underestimate how high the stakes are. Someone I met, Lily,

r private life serves as a diversion. We will have access to the foreign market we have been pursui

judgment. Richard was struck hard by the remarks. His lips became parched. "A contract fo

me to mature. You cannot afford to repeat your previous mistakes. The secret to our future is in

d hoped for a moment of personal decision. But there it was. The last nail in his autonomy's coffin. "All right

't let me down. Richard sat in silence as the call came to a close, feeling as though his father's wor

. The strings had already been pulled and the strategy had been estab

ding building. She had not visited this place in a long time. For good cause, she had stayed away from this pla

t more than just business. She inhaled deeply before pushing the door open and entering, her he

h stride she made. In his office, Richard stood by the window, gazing out over the city, waiting for her. His mouth was

to open that door once more? At last, Richard whispered, "Lily," in a quiet but strained voic

feel the tension between them growing, she made an effort to maintain a neut

Lily. You have no idea the significance of this. You were always the finest at what you did, and I knew it. Although Lily felt her heart skip a beat

she forced a grin while maintaining a businesslike tone. "We'll check on that." There was a pause, and Richard appeared to be deep in contemplation for a while. He cleared his throat.

t course of action. Then I'll have the information for you. After a moment of hesitation, she nodded. "All right. It's lunchtime. She couldn't get rid of the impression tha

d's demeanor was calm, controlled. But there was something unusual about him today. The barriers he had erected over the years appeared to be slightly collapsing. Lily was u

a reputation for yourself. I've been keeping up with your work for some time. I'm amazed. Lily tr

felt compelled to distance herself from Richard as he attempted to delve deeper into her life. She had to keep

. Taking a sip of her water, she calmly said, "I've been fine." "I've created a life. A decent one. Richard looked at her carefully. "And no regrets?" Lily

aid softly, almost hesitantly, as he leaned forward. "Have you ever considered what we might have been?" Unable to look him in the eye, Lily turned her head away. The language was ex

rk fly through her, and she drew back rapidly, her pulse pounding. She couldn't help but notice

ish more together. She swallowed forcefully, her thoughts racing. Although she wasn't sure