The engagement party continued for another hour after the ceremony.
Guests moved around the ballroom, congratulating Victor and Evelyn, exchanging business cards, and discussing the newly engaged couple.
The earlier confrontation had already become the quietest topic in several conversations, although nobody was bold enough to mention it directly in front of Lillian.
Lillian, meanwhile, seemed completely unaffected.
She stood beside Evelyn and Alicia, smiling as they spoke with a few guests.
“Your engagement ring is beautiful,” Alicia said, looking at Lillian’s hand.
Lillian raised her hand slightly and admired the ring.
“I know.”
Alicia laughed.
“You really don’t know how to pretend to be humble.”
“Why should I pretend when the ring is actually beautiful?”
Evelyn shook her head affectionately.
“You’re impossible.”
Across the ballroom, Adrian was speaking with Edward and several business associates.
Ryan stood nearby, occasionally glancing toward Lillian and laughing to himself whenever he remembered what had happened earlier.
Eventually, the older guests began saying their goodbyes.
Victor and Evelyn were busy seeing people out, while Alexander handled several business guests.
Lillian stepped outside the ballroom for a moment to get some fresh air.
The hotel terrace was quieter than the ballroom, with soft lights illuminating the garden below.
She rested her hands against the railing and looked at the city.
For the first time that evening, she was completely alone.
A moment later, she heard footsteps behind her.
She turned.
Adrian was walking toward her.
“You escaped.”
Lillian smiled.
“I needed a break.”
“From the guests?”
“From people asking me the same questions.”
Adrian stopped beside her.
“What questions?”
“Where did we meet?
How long have we known each other?
Why did we decide to get married so quickly?”
She sighed dramatically.
“I almost told one of them that we met in a bathroom.”
Adrian looked at her.
“You didn’t.”
“Of course not.”
She laughed.
“That would have been embarrassing.”
Adrian’s lips curved slightly.
“You’re surprisingly good at keeping secrets.”
Lillian glanced at him.
“So are you.”
For a moment, they stood quietly.
There was no awkwardness between them anymore.
Their relationship was still new, but conversations between them had already begun to feel easier.
Adrian looked at her hand.
“You’re still wearing the ring.”
Lillian looked down.
“Of course.
Why would I take it off?”
“I wasn’t sure.”
She turned toward him.
“Do you want me to?”
“No.”
His answer came so quickly that she smiled.
“Then I’ll keep it.”
Adrian looked at her for a moment.
“Good.”
Before Lillian could respond, someone approached from behind.
“Adrian?”
They turned.
Isabella stood a few steps away, holding a glass of champagne.
She had changed her expression completely from the one she had worn earlier.
There was no anger on her face now.
Instead, she wore a gentle smile.
“I’ve been looking for you.”
Adrian’s expression remained neutral.
“Why?”
Isabella smiled.
“I wanted to congratulate you properly.
Earlier was rather chaotic.”
Her eyes briefly moved toward Lillian.
Lillian noticed but said nothing.
Isabella stepped closer.
“You must be tired after all this.”
“I’m fine.”
“You always say that.”
Lillian’s eyebrows lifted slightly.
Always?
She looked at Adrian.
He seemed equally uninterested in the conversation.
Isabella quickly continued.
“Anyway, congratulations.
I’m really happy for you.”
“Thank you,” Adrian replied.
She hesitated before looking at Lillian.
“And congratulations to you too.”
Lillian smiled politely.
“Thank you.”
Isabella turned back to Adrian.
“You haven’t changed at all.”
Adrian’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“What do you mean?”
“You’re still so serious.”
She laughed softly.
“I remember when we were younger.
You barely smiled.”
Lillian’s expression remained calm, but she quietly observed her.
So they knew each other.
Isabella seemed very comfortable around Adrian.
Adrian, however, didn’t appear to share that comfort.
“We weren’t that close,” he said.
The smile on Isabella’s face stiffened for half a second.
“Of course we weren’t.”
She quickly recovered.
“I just meant that I’ve known you for a long time.”
Adrian gave a small nod.
“I understand.”
Isabella looked at Lillian again.
“You’re very lucky.”
Lillian smiled.
“I’ve heard that a few times tonight.”
“You must be very happy.”
“I am.”
Isabella’s fingers tightened slightly around her glass.
Then she smiled.
“Adrian has always been difficult to approach.
You must have some special way of getting along with him.”
Lillian blinked.
“Not really.”
She glanced at Adrian.
“He’s actually easy to talk to.”
Adrian looked at her.
“Is that so?”
“Yes.”
Lillian smiled innocently.
“You just need to know when to leave him alone.”
Ryan, who had just stepped onto the terrace, overheard the last sentence and immediately laughed.
“That is the most accurate description of my brother I’ve ever heard.”
Adrian looked at him.
“Why are you here?”
Ryan walked over casually.
“Looking for you.”
Then he looked at Isabella.
“Oh.”
His expression changed slightly.
“You’re here too.”
Isabella smiled.
“Ryan.”
Ryan nodded.
“Isabella.”
There was a brief silence.
Then Ryan looked at Lillian.
“Are you ready to go home?”
“Almost.”
He glanced at Adrian.
“Grandfather is looking for you.”
Adrian nodded.
“I’ll be there.”
Ryan looked between Adrian and Lillian before grinning.
“You two are getting along surprisingly well.”
Lillian smiled. Follow the newest chapters on g.com.
“We’re engaged.
We’re supposed to.”
Ryan laughed.
“Fair enough.”
He turned and walked back inside.
Adrian followed after a moment, but Lillian remained on the terrace for a few seconds.
Isabella didn’t leave.
She stood beside her, staring toward the ballroom.
“You seem very comfortable around him.”
Lillian looked at her.
“I am.”
Isabella smiled.
“You haven’t known him for very long.”
“No.”
Lillian tilted her head.
“But I’m getting to know him.”
Isabella’s smile became slightly strained.
“Adrian is a very complicated man.”
“I’ve noticed.”
“You’ll need a lot of patience.”
Lillian smiled.
“I have plenty.”
Isabella looked at her for a moment before giving a soft laugh.
“I hope so.”
Lillian didn’t respond.
She simply walked past her and returned to the ballroom.
Isabella watched her leave.
Her pleasant expression slowly disappeared.
Inside, Adrian was saying goodbye to several guests when Lillian approached him.
“Ready?”
He looked at her.
“Yes.”
She glanced around.
“Where’s Ryan?”
“Already with Grandfather.”
Lillian nodded.
Then she looked toward Isabella, who had just entered the ballroom.
“Your cousin seems to like talking to you.”
Adrian glanced in Isabella’s direction.
“She talks too much.”
Lillian stared at him for a second before laughing.
“That was harsh.”
“Was it?”
“A little.”
Adrian looked at her.
“Does it bother you?”
Lillian thought about it.
“No.”
“Why?”
She smiled.
“Because you don’t seem interested.”
Adrian was quiet for a moment.
Then he nodded.
“I’m not.”
Lillian looked at him with a small smile.
“Good.”
Adrian’s eyebrow rose.
“Good?”
“Yes.”
She walked toward the exit.
“I don’t want my fiancé collecting unnecessary problems.”
Adrian followed her.
“You think Isabella is a problem?”
Lillian looked over her shoulder.
“I didn’t say that.”
“You implied it.”
“I was simply making an observation.”
Adrian smiled faintly.
“You’re very observant.”
Lillian smiled back.
“You’re just starting to notice.”
They walked out of the ballroom together, leaving the remaining guests behind.
Neither of them noticed the way Isabella watched them from across the room.
Or perhaps, if Adrian noticed, he simply didn’t care.
For now, the evening was over.
The engagement was official.
The wedding was one month away.
And Lillian had a fiancé she still knew very little about.
She had no idea how much she would learn about him before their wedding day.