Chapter 46
Emily Windsor's POV
I went straight to Lily's workplace.
I didn't have an appointment. The receptionist tried to stop me, but I simply said, "Tell Miss Reed that Miss Windsor from the Kingsley case is here to see her. It's about a European commission."
A few minutes later, Lily's secretary politely escorted me inside.
The office décor matched its owner—refined, expensive, with a touch of impersonal coldness.
Lily sat behind a massive executive desk, dressed in a tailored Chanel suit, her makeup flawless.
When she saw me, there wasn't a trace of surprise on her face. She even graciously gestured with her hand. "Miss Windsor, please have a seat."
That posture—as if she truly were some benevolent mentor who admired my abilities.
I didn't sit. I placed the gold-embossed merger case file directly on her desk and cut straight to the point. "I don't understand, Miss Reed. Why did you go to all this trouble?"
Lily elegantly picked up the fine china cup in front of her, blew on it gently, and her red lips curved into a faint smile. "Miss Windsor, what are you talking about? I simply thought you were exceptionally capable and wanted to recommend you for a better platform. Isn't that a good thing?"
She was still performing.
I looked at her, finding it almost laughable. "A platform that would keep me away from New York for at least six months, far from the eye of every storm. Right, Miss Reed? Your methods are certainly far more sophisticated than a brute like Lawrence."
The coffee cup was gently set down with a crisp clink.
The courteous smile on Lily's face finally vanished. She looked up, her gaze carrying undisguised scrutiny and ice.
"So you're not stupid after all." She admitted it openly, leaning back in her chair. "Since you've figured it out, I won't beat around the bush. Yes, I arranged this commission. The purpose is to get you away from New York. Away from Luke."
"Just because of the Kingsley case?" I frowned, confused. "Because Luke got into conflict with the Lowe Family over me?"
Lily let out a scornful laugh, her eyes full of mockery. "Emily, do you really think you just caused a little conflict between my brother and the Lowe Family? Is that it?"
She stood and walked to the massive floor-to-ceiling window, looking down at the flow of traffic below, her voice turning cold.
"To avenge you, he deployed the Victor family's network that took nearly a decade to establish in Europe. He completely tore up the tacit understanding with several old-money families. You think the Lowe Family collapsed so quickly by accident? Behind that was Luke enduring enormous pressure, pounding his fist on the boardroom table and going head-to-head with the old guard to make it happen!"
My heart clenched violently. Luke had never told me any of this.
"You think Mr. Lowe's threat about mad dogs was just talk? In the days you've been safe and sound in New York, two of the men Luke sent to handle the fallout are still lying in hospital beds! To clear the path for you, he didn't hesitate to confront the entire conservative faction of the Victor family, pushing himself to the forefront of the storm!"
Lily whirled around, her emotions surging, her voice rising sharply. Her delicate face was filled with fury and heartache.
"Emily, you're like a magnet, constantly dragging him into dangerous whirlpools! He compromises for you, concedes for you, breaks all his principles for you! Luke has never been someone who lets emotions cloud his judgment, but because of you, he's becoming less and less like himself! I can't just stand by and watch him walk step by step toward the edge of a cliff—out of control—all because of you!"
Her eyes reddened as she stared at me, each word like an accusation.
"Sending you to Europe, giving you the best career prospects, the most generous treatment—that's already the greatest mercy I can show you, given my brother's feelings. I'm just trying to remove the obstacle he can't bear to clear himself!"
All those undercurrents I knew nothing about, all those thunderous tactics Luke had casually brushed aside—now, through Lily's words, they were laid bare before me.
I was shocked. Heartbroken. And more than anything, filled with an indescribable ache.
"Enough."
A cold, low voice cut through the tension in the office without warning, slicing through the confrontation like a blade.
Luke stood in the doorway—I hadn't even heard him arrive. His expression was terrifyingly dark. He walked straight to my side, not even glancing at Lily. He looked down at me, checking that I was unharmed, before turning his icy gaze on his sister, whose face had gone pale in an instant.
"Since when do you get to meddle in my affairs?"
"Luke, I..." Lily's fire extinguished immediately, her eyes showing panic and hurt. "I was only trying to help you!"
"Help me?" Luke let out a cold laugh, utterly devoid of warmth. "Helping me means you get to make decisions about her life without asking? Pushing her away like this?"
He took a step forward. The sheer pressure of his presence made Lily instinctively retreat.
"I'll say this one more time. Everything I did to the Lowe Family, every battle I fought within the Victor family—those were my choices. They have nothing to do with her." Luke's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an authority that brooked no argument. "I don't need you to clear any obstacles for me. And she was never one to begin with."
He glanced at me—a look deep and resolute, as if reassuring me while also staking his claim.
"Lily, this is the last time." Luke's tone was ice. "If you ever do anything to hurt her behind my back again, you'll leave for Europe immediately. And don't come back."
Lily looked at him in disbelief, tears pooling in her eyes. She'd probably never been warned so harshly by the brother she'd always revered.
In the end, she said nothing. She just shot me one last resentful glare, grabbed her bag, and stormed out of the office.
The office fell silent.
I looked at Luke's tense profile. Lily's words still echoed in my mind.
So, in places I never saw, he'd already waged war after war on my behalf. Behind every casual dismissal, there had been confrontations with the entire Victor family. Real, knife-edge danger.
He'd compromised for me. Made enemies of the world for me. And never said a word.
An unprecedented emotion—mixed with heartache, gratitude, and an ineffable sweetness—flooded over me all at once. Looking at him, I suddenly felt that all my previous hesitations and struggles over this relationship had become trivial in this moment.
Quietly, I reached into my bag and pulled out a small object wrapped in a velvet pouch.
I'd been carrying it for a while now, waiting for the right moment to give it to him.
Luke noticed my movement and turned around.
I held the small pouch out to him, my voice soft. "This... is for you."