Chapter 5 Lillian's dilemma

"Well, maybe he's just a really stand-up guy." Lillian retorts, "No! I doubt it. There's gotta be something there; I just need to keep digging. But I have to admit, his clean profile is kind of intimidating. It's like he's trying to prove that he's the better person, the better CEO." Rani laughs. "Well, maybe he is. Maybe he's just wired differently, Lili." Lillian rolls her eyes. "Wired differently? You mean like a saint or something? Please, I'm not buying it. There's always something hidden beneath the surface, and I'm going to find it." Rani shrugs.

"Maybe you're just jealous of his success." Lillian's eyes narrow. "Jealous? Me? Never. I'm just competitive, that's all. And I want to know what makes him tick, what his weaknesses are." Rani smiles knowingly. "You're not going to find any weaknesses, Lillian. Vincent is a force to be reckoned with. He's smart, charming, and ruthless in business. You'd do better to focus on your own game rather than trying to take him down." Lillian's face set in a determined expression. "Oh, I'll focus on my own game, all right. And I'll come out on top, mark my words."Lilian notices that Rani is still drooling over Vincent's pictures; she calls out, "Rani, focus! He's just not a pretty face; he's got a reputation that's too clean for his fame." Rani laughs. "That's just part of his charm, Lili. If only you had romance in your life, then you would understand." Lilian frowns playfully, "Hey, that's not fair! I'm just being cautious, that's all. When the time's right, my prince charming will come and get me." Rani teased, "Cautious my foot! You just don't want to admit that you are attracted to him." Rani was silent for a few minutes, scrolling on her phone. "I can't believe you're still stalking him, Rani," Lillian says, shaking her head. Rani teases, "So you're still thinking about him, huh? Maybe you guys are made for each other now that you can't get him out of your mind." Lillian exhales loudly, "You're a matchmaker now, huh? Well, I think you're barking up the wrong tree with this one. He's not my type, trust me". Rani gives up. "Okay, fine. But you still need romance in your life. How about a blind date? I can set you up with some nice guys." Lillian quickly replies, "No, thank you. I don't think blind dates will work for me." Rani suggests, "How about dating apps?" Lillian refuses too. "It's getting pretty late. I'll wash up and get to sleep. Don't stay up too late," Lillian says, muffled in a yawn. As soon as Lillian leaves the sitting room for the guest room to shower, Rani takes her phone from her bag on the sofa. She is more excited that Lilian's phone does not have a password as she gets to download a dating app. She uses "leeli" as the user name and writes a few things about Lillian. Soon she is able to find a match for Lillian, and she accepts the chat request. She puts the phone back in her bag. When Lillian has finished showering, she goes to the sitting room to take her handbag; she notices Rani smiling sheepishly. She suspects Rani has done something, but she is too tired to banter with her. She goes back into the guest room and decides to text Bella if she wrapped up everything on time and didn't work overtime. Bella assured her that everything was okay and she got home on time. As she was about to keep her phone, she got a "hi" message from a dating app. Lilian's brow furrows, then she remembers how Rani was smiling sheepishly and realizes this was probably what she was up to. Rani was probably asleep, and Lilian decided to save the ranting for tomorrow. She opens the chat, but she doesn't know what to reply; soon, she falls asleep. As she drifted off to sleep, Lillian's mind wandered. But instead of infrastructural reports and board meetings, her subconscious conjured up a surprising figure: Vincent Hanstrup, her rival and nemesis. In her dream, Vincent's chiseled features and piercing blue eyes captivated her. They stood alone on a moonlit rooftop, the city skyline twinkling behind them. Vincent's confident smile drew her in, and Lillian felt an unfamiliar flutter in her chest. Jolted awake, Lillian sits up in bed, her heart racing. She rubbed her temples, trying to shake off the lingering emotions. "What was I thinking? Vincent is the last person I should be fantasizing about!" Regret washed over her as she realized her subconscious had betrayed her values and priorities. She prided herself on being a shrewd and independent leader, not some lovesick CEO swooning over her rival. Lillian threw off the covers and began pacing her bedroom. She needed to regain control and focus on her goals. "This is all because of Rani!" She screams inwardly as she continues pacing the room. The art business world didn't tolerate weakness, especially not from a female CEO. She tried to fall asleep again. But the memory of that dream lingered, a reminder of the blurred lines between ambition and attraction. Lillian tossed and turned, her mind racing with the lingering image of Vincent's chiseled features and piercing blue eyes. She couldn't shake off the dream, no matter how hard she tried. Frustration mounted as she punched her pillow, willing herself to erase the memory. "Why now?" she muttered, throwing off the covers. "Of all people, why him! I shouldn't have looked up his pictures with Rani nor allowed her to talk about his looks! What can I do to get his face out of my mind? She paced about her darkened bedroom, trying to distract herself with thoughts of market trends and quarterly reports. But Vincent's smile kept flashing before her eyes, making her pulse quicken. Lillian stopped in front of her window, gazing out at the city lights. She felt trapped, unable to escape the unwanted attraction. Her rival, the one person she shouldn't desire, had invaded her subconscious. With a groan, Lillian returned to bed, determined to reclaim her sleep. She closed her eyes, focusing on her breathing, but Vincent's image persisted. She tossed again, her mind a battlefield between professionalism and unwanted desire. As the night wore on, Lillian realized she couldn't outsmart her own subconscious. The memory of Vincent lingered, a constant reminder of her vulnerability.