Chapter 1 Take Her Home

"From now on, your name is Lilias Ling, and you're staying here."

His cold voice echoed throughout the household as he left. Even as he walked away, Lily still felt as if she were being watched.

Although she'd been expecting this for a long time, she couldn't help but be in awe of the events that had just unfolded. It just felt so unreal.

It was as if he had appeared in thin air to save her, like an angel manifesting from the clouds to reach for her,

and now she found herself sitting at the edge of her bed, at a loss of what to do.

Compared to her measly house, this was like heaven. There was a wide, queen-sized bed propped in the center of the room. Warm sunlight poured in from the floor length windows, and there were even a bunch of stuffed animals propped at the corner of the room for her to play with. The room was filled with innocence and child-like wonder. It was everything she had hoped for as a child,

yet she found herself sitting at the edge of the bed, unable to move. It was everything she had hoped for, that she was afraid that if she touched something, it would break.

He had saved her and brought her to this place. He even gave her a name. She used to be called Lily. However, the name was so common, so he changed it up a bit. Now, her name was Lillias Ling. It was unique, and it had a nice ring to it.

Suddenly, a gentle knock interrupted her thoughts.

"Miss Lillias, Mr. James asked that you have dinner downstairs." Lilly recognized the voice as the servant who had brought her to the villa.

"Okay," she responded, taking a deep breath. Well, it was time she faced the music.

As she arrived in the dining hall, she saw that James Ling was already waiting for her.

"Sit next to me," he said. There was a certain charm wrapped around his velvety voice, and she followed.

In front of her was a plate of steak. She pursed her lips nervously. Lily had only ever used chopsticks. Western utilities like knives and forks were unfamiliar to her. As if he could read her mind, he cut the steak in his plate quietly before placing it on hers.

Having lived a life of coldness and distance, she was never treated like this before. Lily felt touched by his actions. Noticing how silent she was, James Ling turned towards her.

"After dinner, I'll ask Lara to show you around the villa," he said, breaking the silence.

"What?" Lily's eyes widened, craning her head.

"Don't you want to?" he asked, feeling a small thrill when her innocent eyes stared into him.

"No." She waved her hands repeatedly. "I'm just really happy to be here."

"It's time that you familiarize yourself with the villa. Do you like your room?"

"Yes." In fact, she absolutely loved it.

"You can tell Lara what else you'll need, and she could get it for you," he stated. "I can take you out when I have the time, but other than that, you should stay at home for a while."

Her chest warmed at the thought of calling this place her home.

His lips twitched. "Let's eat."

Lily finally regained her composure and began to eat quietly.

Once dinner was over, he rushed to the study to get some documents done. Lily was left with Lara to explore the villa.

"How many years have you lived here?" Lily asked as she followed Lara around.

"Around thirty years. My husband and I have been working for the Ling family since we were young." A faint smile carved her lips.

"Then, uh...about Mr. James," Lily hesitated. "Do you know him well?"

"Mr. James is very kind, especially to us helpers. As long as we don't violate any of his rules, he wouldn't make a fuss about it, but he doesn't talk much. He has a good heart though. When my husband got into a car accident, he arranged a job for him in the villa. Without him, our future would've been done for." At the mention of James Ling, Lara couldn't stop talking.

Lily frowned. 'If he is really kind, has he adopted me due to kindness?' Would she be thrown away if she misbehaved?

"Miss Lillias, you're actually the first person that he'd taken home with him. He loves quietness, so he doesn't have much friends over. He must be happy that you're here." Although Lara didn't know who this woman was, she could tell that Lily didn't have an easy life. However, given that it was James Ling who brought her here, there must be something special about her. She was also very kind.

Lily nodded absently, not listening to Lara's words.

"Miss Lillias? Miss Lillias?" Lara called.

"What?" Lily blinked.

"Miss Lillias, there is a pavilion in the garden over there. You can sit there for a while. I can go and get you slices of cakes. I made them myself, so I'm sure you'll love them."

"Sure, thank you." Lily smiled sweetly.

There were plenty of flowers in the garden that she didn't recognize. It was said that admiring the greeneries could make one happy. Now, as she stared at the plants surrounding her, she could tell that the saying was true.

No matter what reason he had to bring her here, she was happy and thankful for it. All she wanted was to live an ordinary life.

Her mother had passed away when she was ten. After that, she just couldn't leave the place she'd lived with her mother, scared that she wouldn't be able to feel her mother's presence if she strayed. Now, she was eighteen. Lily might not know why James brought her home, but for once in her life, she was actually happy here.

It felt as if everything was falling together. At least, that was what she wanted to believe.

Lara placed a cake in front of her and Lily smiled, feeling as if she were the luckiest girl in the world.

She didn't notice that a man was staring at her from the third floor.

It was James. With a glass of wine in his hand, he stood by the window.

He stared at the two figures down below, swirling the wine glass in his hand. His lips twitched into a small smile.

They had been apart for so long. James had actually been searching for her for seven years,

and now that he found her, he wasn't going to let her go. All kinds of information showed that she was not only his savior but also the daughter of a friend he had known before. Unfortunately, that person had died.

Without another thought, he raised the wine glass to his lips and drank it all up.