Chapter 240

Chapter 240
Lily's POV
Walter looked at me with a guilty expression: "I'm sorry, Lily, I..."
I immediately responded: "It's alright, Walter. You were desperate to save your wife. I understand."
Hearing my words, Walter was moved to tears.
He stepped forward to grasp my hand, his eyes full of gratitude.
"What does this mean?" Emily still seemed confused about the situation.
I revealed the truth with a cold smile: "You only knew that Nicholas promised to help you get William, but you didn't know he also kidnapped Elizabeth to force William's hand, did you? Emily, your delusions these past few days were just that—delusions. Now everything's clear, it's time for you to wake up from your dream."
Emily looked at William in disbelief. Seeing his affectionate gaze directed at me, her face grew even paler.
Walter added his persuasion: "Emily, I know you like William, but he and Lily were meant to be together long ago. Even if you had something with William before, that's all in the past. You should let go."
"I don't believe it!" Emily completely broke down, stumbling backward. "Walter, you liked me the most, didn't you? Otherwise, why were you so nice to me recently..."
Her voice was filled with despair and accusation, tears streaming down her face.
"Emily, it's one thing to be naive, but quite another to be completely clueless. Why he was nice to you—don't you have any idea?" I laughed coldly, my words showing no mercy.
Emily could no longer control her emotions and burst into loud sobs: "William, I liked you so much. How could you do this to me..."
William's face showed impatience as he listened to her crying: "Stop crying. It's annoying."
Emily stared at William in shock. She clearly never expected him to speak to her like this, much less humiliate her in front of everyone.
"William, you're really cruel."
Emily's expression shifted from shock to anger, and her tears suddenly stopped.
"I get it now. You all conspired to deceive me, didn't you? I wondered why William suddenly agreed to be with me. This was all your plot!"
Emily stood up as if possessed: "I understand everything now. I won't let you get away with this. I absolutely won't let any of you get away with this!"
With that, she ran out stumbling, leaving behind a silent room.
"Honestly, I'm a bit worried about her mental state," I looked at William with furrowed brows.
"Although Emily brought this on herself, seeing her like this still makes me feel sorry for her."
William put his arm around my shoulders, comforting me: "Don't worry. Whatever happens to her is her business, not ours."
But I remained concerned: "That last thing she said—I don't think she was joking."
A strong sense of foreboding rose within me.
Emily's eyes had been filled with hatred—not a momentary outburst, but a hatred that had penetrated to her core.
"It's okay. I'll protect you," William pulled me into his embrace, his warmth giving me a profound sense of security.
Walter cleared his throat, reminding us of his presence. We awkwardly separated.
Walter smiled, indicating he didn't mind our intimacy, then William asked about Elizabeth's condition.
"She's resting upstairs. The kidnapping experience was a severe psychological shock," Walter said, his expression turning somber. "But she's much better now. Let me take you to see her."
Meanwhile, I was thinking about Emily's expression as she left and planned to have Lucas keep an eye on her.
In the bedroom, Elizabeth lay in bed breathing evenly, apparently sleeping soundly.
William and I stood nearby while Walter quietly explained the situation.
"Since Elizabeth returned, apart from a heart condition flare-up caused by the fright, she's had no other problems. I just got her to sleep, and she probably won't wake up for a few hours," Walter's voice was full of concern.
He looked exhausted, with dark circles under his eyes suggesting he hadn't slept well for days.
"That's good. If anything happens, be sure to tell me or Lily immediately," William said, then looked at me with a hint of pride in his eyes: "This daughter-in-law of ours is quite remarkable."
Hearing this, Walter's eyes again moistened with tears, but because William was present and Elizabeth was resting, he kept his voice low: "Yes, thanks to Lily. I've wronged Lily terribly. It was my fault for panicking when I learned Elizabeth had been kidnapped. I impulsively forced William to break up with you, which is why you two ended up in such a mess."
I quickly shook my head: "It's fine, Walter. In your position, I would have made the same decision."
"Thank you for understanding, and thank you even more for rescuing her. Without you, I don't know when I would have seen her again."
Walter took a deep breath, his gaze toward Elizabeth full of tenderness and cherishing.
As we spoke, Elizabeth had quietly awakened and been eavesdropping on our conversation.
She opened her eyes, and Walter asked in surprise: "Why are you awake so soon? You've hardly slept."
Elizabeth spoke softly: "Lily's back, and you're letting me sleep? Don't you want me to see Lily?"
Walter's face immediately turned red: "I... I didn't!"
Seeing his flustered reaction, I couldn't help covering my mouth to laugh.
The once intimidating head of the Sterling family now looked like an ordinary husband being scolded by his wife—the contrast was amusing.
"Lily." Elizabeth reached out her hand, and I immediately went to sit beside her. She examined me with concern: "Let me have a good look at you. You've lost weight. It must be because of William—that thoughtless boy doesn't know how to cherish what he has!"
Elizabeth now had eyes only for me, her "daughter-in-law," as if no one else mattered.
This was a stark contrast to her previous attitude toward me, and I found it somewhat hard to adjust to.
I quickly defended William: "No, not at all. William and I get along very well. William..."
Before I could finish, Elizabeth interrupted: "Why are you still calling him William? Don't you two lovebirds have some intimate nicknames for each other?"
This question caught me off guard, clearly not something I had anticipated.
"Intimate nicknames? William and I have never considered that."
"Oh, you know, like 'baby,' 'sweetie,' 'darling,' that sort of thing," Elizabeth said as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
I nearly choked on my water. These terms of endearment seemed far too excessive for me.
William and I had always addressed each other by name; these saccharine nicknames completely contradicted our interaction style.
"These nicknames... aren't they a bit... too much?" I twitched my lips, feeling somewhat at a loss.
Elizabeth patted the back of my hand and patiently explained: "Not at all, they're just right. Isn't this how young people in love talk these days? When Walter was courting me, he called me 'baby' all the time."
She shot Walter a sharp glance: "Isn't that right?"