Chapter 9: Other Side Of Her

"Miss Bai, I've brought your coffee." A knock sounded at the door, followed by Elliot's composed voice.

"Enter." Lillie's eyes remained fixed on the monitor.

Elliot stepped inside, exuding his usual poise, a steaming cup of freshly brewed coffee in hand. He placed it gently on her desk before standing by, awaiting further instructions.

The room was comfortably silent, save for the occasional sound of Lillie typing.

"How are the two?" she asked, glancing at the time—23:36.

"They seem to be enjoying themselves," he reported smoothly.

Lillie paused her typing and reached for the cup, blowing on it before taking a sip. "Remind them of the time. Call for both houses' drivers to take them home."

"Understood, Miss Bai."

"Also, prepare the files for Miss Fujikawa's new game. I expect them on my desk by eight."

"It will be done," Elliot said with a slight bow—ever the perfect British gentleman.

Lillie dismissed him with a nod and returned to her work.

As the door clicked shut, she sighed. She removed her glasses, pinched the bridge of her nose, and leaned back against her chair. She was both physically and mentally exhausted.

She-devil? Cold, emotionless CEO?

Before any of those titles, she had simply been a girl who loved sweets and cute things. But as the eldest and future heiress, she had buried those parts of herself to fit the role demanded of her.

She sat up, unlocked a drawer, and pulled out a worn photograph. Her fingers traced its edges as nostalgia washed over her.

It was from middle school—the day she met him.

She had been eleven. He had been sitting alone on a bench under a tree, seemingly indifferent to the world around him. But something in his demeanor had made her think otherwise, so she had mustered the courage to approach.

"H-Hello..." Lillie had been painfully shy back then, her voice barely above a whisper. People often found her odd—thick glasses, braces, always buried in books.

The boy snapped out of his reverie at the sound of her voice. When he turned to face her, she was stunned—he was actually listening to her.

"May I help you?"

Lillie's heart skipped a beat. He noticed me.

"A-Are y-you new h-here?" she stammered.

"Yeah. What about you?"

She had been expecting disinterest or maybe even ridicule, but instead, he was...talking to her.

"I-I'm new t-too..." she mumbled, barely audible.

The boy's lips curved into a grin.

"Do you want to be my friend?" he asked, completely unprompted.

Lillie had been flabbergasted. No one had ever wanted to be her friend before—except for Yu Mei. And here he was, asking to be hers.

"Y-Yes!" she blurted out without hesitation.

His grin widened. "My name's Wèi Fang. What's yours?"

"M-My name is Lilliana Theodora Bai."

"L-Lili-hana Teo—bleh! Ouch!" He winced, rubbing his jaw.

He had bit his tongue.

Lillie had burst into laughter.

Wèi Fang had pouted, his cheeks turning red. "Aya, your name's too hard to say! I'll just call you... Dora!"

Lillie had gasped in horror. "No way! I don't want that!"

"Why not? You don't want to be Dora the Explorer?"

"No!"

"Then it's settled. Dora it is!"

"Nooooooo!"

Lillie now stared blankly at the photo in her hand.

They had been inseparable back then. Best friends. But something had happened—something that shattered their friendship and changed her forever.

A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts.

"Miss Bai." Elliot's voice pulled her back to reality.

She hastily tucked the photo back into the drawer before responding.

"Come in."

Elliot entered with his usual composed demeanor. "The young master and Miss Li left hours ago. Shouldn't you be resting now?"

Lillie glanced at the clock—1:09 AM. The building was nearly empty, aside from the night shift guards and a handful of employees still working late.

"Ah… yes. I'll sleep here tonight," she murmured, exhaustion lacing her voice.

Elliot sighed. "Please take care of your health, Miss."

She merely hummed in acknowledgment before heading into her office's private bedroom—a luxury her doting father had insisted on when he had her office custom-built. Even the company president didn't have this privilege.

Elliot watched her go, knowing full well that the moment she hit the bed, she would be out like a light.

Shaking his head, he walked over to her desk, neatly stacking her papers into a file before picking up her empty coffee cup.

After switching off the lights, he locked the door behind him and left.