"Win"

Lily heard the sound and turned around, lying on the couch as she looked at him. "I can't sleep. Didn't you say you'd be back after midnight?"

He had messaged her, saying that after the dinner, there would be a card game at the club, and he wouldn't be back until after midnight.

Edmond sat down next to her. "The party ended early."

In reality, it hadn't ended yet. He came back because he heard the thunder; she couldn't sleep well during thunderstorms.

Seeing her looking a bit down, Edmond pulled her into his arms. "What's wrong?"

She had gone to pick up Aria today, shouldn't she be happy?

Lily sighed. "I have to start working next week."

"What kind of work?"

"Shooting a cover for a fashion magazine."

"Which magazine?"

"Win."

"Win..."

Edmond paused. The name sounded familiar. Oh, right, that idiot Yao Chengren.

Lily had been waiting up for Edmond because she had something to ask him. "Did you know about Mi Shan's comeback?"

Edmond, still thinking about Yao Chengren and Win, was caught off guard by her question and nodded. "I know."

Before she retired, Mi Shan was a popular model. Her relationship with Alistair, their breakup, her retirement, sudden marriage, and then divorce—all of these had caused quite a stir.

When she announced she wouldn't return to the industry, it was a big deal. Now her comeback, instantly hitting the hot searches with massive publicity and marketing campaigns, was hard to miss. Anyone with internet access had seen the news, so naturally, Edmond knew about it.

Lily looked at him seriously. "Is Alistair behind her quick comeback and all this buzz? Hundreds of marketing accounts are pushing her—did he help her?"

Edmond sensed something off in her tone. "Why are you suddenly asking about this? Did something happen?"

If she had been curious about Mi Shan's comeback, she would have asked sooner.

Lily didn't hide anything from him. "Aria's sister-in-law is the chief editor of Win. Aria went to Yong City to get an introduction to a project from her sister-in-law. She overheard her talking on the phone about Mi Shan being on the cover of Win."

Edmond's hair, damp from the rain, was gently poked by Lily.

"Aria asked her sister-in-law to take on the project."

Lily had advised Aria not to be rash. She didn't need Mi Shan for her project, and L&S Group had entertainment projects that could help. Worst case, she could sit in Old Jian's office and get something.

When the studio reopened, Lily had vowed not to rely on her family or Edmond, determined to make it on her own. But if things got desperate, vows meant nothing. She'd go back to her family or even hang a sign saying "Edmond's Wife" outside her studio.

Aria wouldn't listen, though.

"Mi Shan set me up before. This time, I'm using her momentum. She can scheme against me, but I can't use her? Don't try to stop me; I've decided to take this job!"

Lily had tried to talk her out of it but to no avail.

Edmond wasn't sure if Alistair was behind Mi Shan's comeback; he hadn't asked. However, he guessed it was likely Alistair.

He hadn't intended to ask Alistair, not wanting to meddle in his affairs. If Lily asked, he could truthfully say he didn't know.

"I haven't heard from Alistair about it."

Edmond reached into his suit pocket for his phone. "Should I ask Alistair now?"

"Forget it."

Lily stopped him. "I just thought you might know, so I asked. If you don't know, it's fine."

Seeing her still frowning, Edmond quietly showed his support. "In matters concerning Aria and Alistair, I always stand with Aria. Remember at Mi Shan's restaurant, I even hit Alistair. You saw the mark on his face, right?"

Lily recalled and nodded.

She leaned against him, her mood lightening a bit. "If Alistair hadn't helped me back then, I'd have beaten him myself."

"He helped you?"

"Yeah, when I was abroad for treatment, Alistair helped me find a doctor."

Edmond held her tighter, feeling frustrated. As kids, he often took the blame for Alistair, and now Alistair had taken the credit for helping her.

Noticing her mood, Edmond didn't make any moves. Once she fell asleep, he messaged Octavian.

[Go through the regular process with Win.]

...

Octavian received the message while still working late. Understanding its meaning, he texted Yao Chengren, asking him to call back the next day.

Within two minutes, Yao Chengren called. "Brother Pan, is there something urgent? I'm free now."

The loud, noisy metal music over the phone was jarring. Octavian adjusted before getting to the point.

"Mr. Zhou says he can help with Win."

Yao Chengren, still half-drunk from earlier, sobered up quickly.

"Didn't he say it would break the rules? Why the sudden change of heart?"

He wasn't relieved but rather anxious.

After getting rejected by Edmond and advised by Octavian, he had fought with his deputy general manager and went out drinking with friends. Now, hearing Octavian's words, he felt more alarmed than happy.

Octavian wasn't sure why his boss had changed his mind but knew what message to convey.

"If you're not selling, getting Win is easier."

...

Regarding her pregnancy, Nadia asked Royce to keep it from his mother, Malika, for now.

After the accident, her condition looked bad. Knowing her mother-in-law, even if she were pregnant, looking so frail would get her scolded.

So, she stayed in the hospital for three days, waiting for her condition to stabilize before calling Malika.

"Bed rest to protect the pregnancy?"

Malika rushed over, hearing the news as soon as she entered, her face changing.

Nadia quickly explained, "I just got pregnant a month ago. The car accident caused a threatened miscarriage."

Hearing it was a car accident involving Lily, Malika asked, "Did Lily hit you?"

Nadia hesitated, unsure how to respond. The police had assigned her full responsibility, making it impossible to lie. If she did, Malika's temper would lead to more trouble for Lily, who wouldn't stand for injustice and had evidence.

Nadia had planned to let Royce handle this, but he was out taking a call, and the nurse's instructions for bed rest had reached Malika.

Nadia glanced at the door, hoping Royce would return soon. Seeing Malika's questioning look, she finally said, "If it weren't for Lily, I wouldn't be here."

She hadn't lied. If Lily's car hadn't been there, she would have only run a red light, not crashed. So, she blamed Lily, wishing Royce would come back soon.