Chapter 71 Opening Up
Chapter 71 Opening Up
"Everything went so smoothly, almost too smoothly," Henry said, leaning back against the sofa, his eyes fixed on the chandelier above. His voice had a hint of confusion. "I ended my contract with her and even helped her find a new path, but I still feel uneasy. Ursa took care of me when I was young. When I was bullied by other kids at the Phillips Villa, she protected me. When I had a fever, she made porridge and stayed by my side until I recovered. Am I being too heartless to Lily now?"
Amelia saw the struggle in his eyes and felt a pang of sympathy.
She never expected someone as rational and cold as Henry to be so sentimental.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have tolerated Lily's antics for so long out of gratitude to Ursa.
She reached out and gently patted his shoulder, her voice soft. "I don't know what happened between you two, but I believe you have your reasons for doing this. You're not the kind of person who forgets kindness. If Ursa knew the whole story, she would understand."
Henry looked at her, his eyes probing. "Do you want to know what really happened between Lily and me over the years?"
Amelia hesitated. She was indeed curious. Since joining the Phillips Group, she had heard colleagues gossip about Henry and Lily's childhood friendship. Later, she saw rumors about him and other actresses, and she had already pegged him as a playboy, but never asked him directly.
Since Henry brought it up tonight, she nodded. "If you want to talk, I'm here to listen."
"Let's sit on the big sofa over there. It's too cramped here," Henry said, standing up and walking slowly to the living room's large sofa.
"Does it really matter where we sit?" Amelia teased but followed him anyway. She sensed that Henry genuinely wanted to confide in someone tonight, not just tease her as usual.
As soon as Henry sat down, he instinctively reached for his suit pocket, clearly looking for a lighter.
Amelia noticed and turned to the coffee table drawer, pulling out an unopened disposable e-cigarette. She handed it to him. "I don't have any cigarettes at home. This was a gift from a friend. It's mint-flavored and not too harsh. If you want to smoke, use this."
Henry took the e-cigarette, his fingers holding the slim device, his eyes filled with surprise. "Do you smoke? I've never seen you do it."
Amelia didn't answer, just pushed the ashtray towards him, her tone urging. "Didn't you have something to say? What did you and Lily talk about today that made her suddenly decide to quit the industry? She seemed so determined to be a star before. Why give up so easily?"
"When did you start smoking? Is it because of stress?" Henry ignored her question and instead asked about her smoking. "Smoking is bad for your health, especially for women. It ages you faster."
"I'm not here to talk about smoking," Amelia said, a bit exasperated, reaching to take back the e-cigarette. "If you don't want to talk, forget it. I'm not that curious."
Henry decisively tossed the e-cigarette into the trash, his actions firm and his tone leaving no room for argument. "Quit smoking, got it? If I catch you doing it again, anywhere, I'll stop you myself."
His words were so blunt and invasive that Amelia's cheeks instantly flushed, her ears turning red. She instinctively tried to back away, but Henry's hand on her shoulder kept her in place.
"Don't go. Let's continue," Henry's tone was calm again, but he didn't release her shoulder. "The rumors about Lily and me were all fake. It was an act for the Phillips family. Grandpa always thought I was too ambitious and didn't trust me with the Phillips Group. I pretended to be in a relationship with Lily to make him think I was distracted by romance and not power-hungry, so he'd let his guard down."
"Fake?" Amelia was stunned, almost dropping the pillow she was holding.
She couldn't believe it. The countless tabloid photos, the shopping trips, Lily visiting Henry's villa late at night, even Henry's interview where he said he had feelings for Lily—was it all an act?
Henry saw her shock and continued. "Not just Lily. The news about other actresses was fake, too. It was all a smokescreen I created."
The living room fell silent, the only sound the ticking of the wall clock, each tick echoing in Amelia's heart. Her mind was in turmoil. Henry's bad-boy image was deeply ingrained in her mind, and she had always associated him with being irresponsible.
But now, he was telling her it was all an act?
It took her a full half-minute to find her voice, her tone uncertain. "Henry, are you serious? Those photos looked so real, and your interactions with Lily in public didn't seem fake at all."
"They were supposed to look real," Henry said, his eyes serious, no hint of jest. "Lily is an actress, and she's good at it. We've been playing this role for years. If we didn't have that level of chemistry, Grandpa would have seen through it. And those photos? It's all about angles and staging. If you look closely, you'll see we always kept a safe distance, never too intimate."
Amelia thought back to the photos and realized it was true. When Lily held his arm, his hand always hung naturally. When they were together, they maintained a half-arm's distance. She had thought it was because Henry was indifferent, but now she understood it was deliberate.
Suddenly, a thought struck her, and she spoke with disbelief and a hint of panic. "You mean... before me, you have never been with any woman? Those intimate moments in the rumors were all fake?"
Henry didn't answer directly. Instead, he raised an eyebrow and asked teasingly, "What do you think?"
The atmosphere in the living room became awkwardly intimate.
The warm yellow light fell on them, making the air feel warmer.
Amelia's heart raced, her fingers unconsciously gripping the sofa cover. Looking at the seriousness in Henry's eyes, she realized she might have misunderstood him all along.
"What, are you afraid I'll take advantage of you?" Henry teased, seeing her flustered state, his tone playful. "Or are you worried I'll cling to you and make you take responsibility?"