Two years later...
During the scorching afternoon, the design department at Harrison Construction was filled with a lack of energy as everyone seemed distracted.
Lily sat in the conference room, propping her face with one hand while sketching on the design with a pencil in the other...
As it was not yet time for the meeting, and the supervisor had not arrived, a few earlycomers gathered around, excitedly discussing an entertainment magazine.
"Alexander Harrisons speed of changing women is too fast; do you think... with such frequent exposure, the public will get visual fatigue?" Tom remarked.
Monica, with her alluring curls, casually said, "I think youre just jealous... Any news about Harrison sells out the newspapers."
"Exactly..." Amy, the intern design assistant, chimed in, her face dreamy as she tilted her head, "Ah, Harrison is so handsome... I wish I could see him in person."
"You little infatuated girl..." Tom rolled his eyes. "Men like Alexander Harrison are just empty shells, benefiting from family influence."
"You’re wrong," Monica shook her head, "Although the Harrison Group is a family legacy, under Harrisons management, the expansion in less than three years has been impressive!"
Monica sighed, reflecting, "Such a man is the perfect dream for women... both in looks and power!"
"Speaking of that... Im so curious," Amys round eyes widened, "Harrison married shortly after officially taking over the Harrison Group, but in these two years, his wife has never appeared in public!"
As she spoke, she rested her chin on her hand, "Harrisons always in the headlines with socialites and stars; I want to know... what does his wife think?" Amys eyes sparkled, "Most importantly, does this legendary Mrs. Harrison even exist?"
"That so-called Mrs. Harrison could just be a media creation; perhaps she doesn’t exist at all," Danny, the project planner, joked from the side.
"Mrs. Harrison does exist..." Steve, who had been silent, chimed in. "A friend of mine is a reporter; he wanted to cover the wedding, but the Harrison family’s confidentiality was too strict, so he couldn’t get any photos."
"One things for sure... women married into wealthy families live in sorrow!" Monica huffed, "It looks glamorous, but its truly a lowly existence."
"So, men like us are the most reliable," Tom quickly added, casting a flattering smile at Monica.
Monica rolled her eyes, uninterested in Tom, and turned to Lily, who remained unaffected by their chatter: "Hey, Lily, how can you be so focused on your work?"
Amy glanced at Lily’s sketches and teased, "Because our Lily is diligent, thats why so many people come to her for designs..."
She looked at Lily with adoration, "But seriously, Lily, aren’t you even a little curious about Alexander Harrison?"
Lily marked a spot on her design, glancing innocently at Amy, "Why should I be curious?"
"..." The group exchanged looks of disbelief.
"We all see him every now and then, but none of us has ever met him!" Amy pouted, glancing at the magazine. "When will our company collaborate with Harrison? That way, we could at least catch a glimpse of him?!"
Seeing the infatuated look in Amy’s eyes, Lily playfully teased, "And then what?" Her sparkling eyes glimmered with mischief, "Get noticed by Harrison and live your dream life as a rich beauty?"
As she spoke, Lily pretended to nod earnestly with the others.
Laughter filled the conference room...
Amy’s face fell immediately, "Lily, I’m not joking." She pouted, "With a group as big as Harrison, if they partnered with us, our worth would soar!"
"With Harrisons scale, does he even notice us?" Joe, a senior member of the design department, scoffed, "We dont even qualify to submit a bid!"
"Maybe not..." Amy rolled her eyes, "But our BOSS has won international design awards!"
Listening to their topic shift, Lily’s gaze unintentionally fell on the magazine spread across the table...
In it, Alexander Harrison was gently fixing the tousled hair of a recently popular star, Emma Taylor, with a soft and affectionate demeanor.
Alexander Harrison was undeniably breathtaking; his chiseled features and defined jawline could overshadow any international superstar, with sharp eyes that shone like obsidian.
His high nose and thin lips, combined with a perfectly sculpted physique, made him look flawless.
With the backing of Harrison Group, this man, barely thirty, seemed to announce how skillfully crafted he was by divine hands.
A soft ping broke the reverie as Lilys phone lit up with a text message.
Mr. G: I’m back at Blue Bay Villa tonight.
Lily stared at her phone in a daze, until she noticed Amy’s curious gaze and quickly replied: Okay, waiting for you!
As soon as she hit send, their supervisor entered with assistants and project members, prompting everyone to gather their thoughts and sit up straight...
"Mr. Yu has received news," Supervisor Donald announced, "Harrison will be building a themed leisure club in Manhattan..."
He paused dramatically, scanning the room before continuing, "Every floors design will be assigned to different companies... and we have a chance!"
All eyes widened in surprise, sparkling with excitement as they turned to Donald.
"Is this true, Supervisor?" Amy was the first to speak up.
Donald nodded, looking directly at Lily: "Lily, Mr. Yu said this proposal will be your responsibility... Monica and Steve will assist."
Lily maintained her composure and calmly responded, "The design is no problem, but whether we can participate is another matter..."
Donald sighed, "So... whether you can deliver your designs to Harrison is up to your ability. Remember, this is not just an opportunity for Harrison; it’s yours too... I’m recommending you for a program at Columbia University, and they require commercial work."
Lily drove her very ordinary white Toyota towards Blue Bay Villa, her mind replaying Donalds words...
Attending Columbia for advanced architectural studies had always been her dream. Even if reality might not allow her to pursue it, shouldn’t she give herself a chance without regrets?
After parking in front of the villa, she continued to ponder... so much so that she didn’t notice the imposing Lamborghini parked in the spot.
Entering the house, the atmosphere felt off... Whenever he returned, the air seemed charged with his overwhelming presence.
Lilys gaze swept over the sofa, landing on the small bar...
Seeing the mans tall and aloof figure, her lips curled into a smile, shaking off her earlier composure, she greeted him playfully, "Alex? Didn’t expect you back so soon... weren’t you coming home at night?"
Alexander Harrison turned, his piercing gaze meeting Lilys bright smile. His thin lips curled into a mischievous smirk, "What? Not happy I came back early?"
"Of course not!" After changing her shoes, Lily stepped forward, wrapping her arms around Alexanders waist, her smile brightening, "Are you here to have dinner with me?"
"Mm." Alexander Harrison raised his hand, fingers brushing across Lilys lips.
Lily allowed him to caress her cheek but raised an eyebrow, asking, "Aren’t you supposed to be with that star, Emma Taylor?"
Alexander watched the glimmer in Lily’s eyes, a deeper smile forming on his lips, "Are you jealous?"