Chapter 18 - New home (2/2)

He had set up a room for Adrien, which reminded more of a toy store than the nursery of a three-year-old child.

He had hired two nannies to take care of the toddler when she needed to take care of appointments with Alexandre. He also insisted on a dinner together and sometimes they even had breakfast together when Alexandre had time.

The evening was officially registered as a family time, in which Alexandre and Lily played together with Adrien.

Lily was grateful to Alexandre that he did not leave her alone in this difficult situation. He even helped her with the upbringing. Who would have thought that this first-class villain fit so well into the role of a father.

Lily quickly took off her coat and slipped into her red pair of slippers before running after the men's duo.

”Do you know which dish is served today?” Lily aked Adrien, who was already sitting in his baby chair. Adrien grinned. ”Spahgetti!” Lily suppressed a moan. The mighty little man had already wrapped the staff around his little finger. Every second day his favorite dish was served.

”Mhh, yum.” Inwardly, Lily prayed that the head chef had once again come up with a sophisticated twist on the Italian pasta dish. She was sure that Alexandre groaned inwardly too. But his expression remained unmoved. Lily had to smile.

”Will we play Memory later?” Asked Adrien Alexandre.

This whole situation was so idyllic and Lily hoped that it would remain so idyllic. Adrien and she had gotten used to the new life with Alexandre quite quickly.

Lily was a pretty pragmatic girl. She took things as they came. She packed them into small boxes and stowed them in a dark room somewhere in the back of her head. Then she forgot it. She was never slowed down by her emotions. She was not a brooder. She did not over-analyze anything. She took things as they came and tried to live with them. When she fell, she immediately got up and kept walking.

It has always been like that.

She did not cry when she woke up one day as a rich side character of My loyal hubby, who was meant to die early. Instead, she tried to find a way out.

She did not cry when Pascal broke her heart.

She did not cry when she had to run away.

She did not cry when Adrien was left to her and she knew they were being hunted. Only for a short while she had secretly cried in the bathroom to mourn Elodie and Fabien. After all, they were her friends. But she has not shown her tears in front of Adrien.

And she had not cried when Alexandre blackmailed her.

All the disaster in her life was packed in small boxes and stowed away in a corner of her brain, where they became dusty and forgotten.

She did not grieve over emotional baggage, she tried to live with it. Lily had always believed that crying wasn't helpful, and she needed to act to keep things moving.

And so she did it again.

She lived with Alexandre. It worked pretty well. At the same time she wondered how she could earn enough money until her husband's bankruptcy. She just needed enough money to raise Adrien. Lily could live without luxury. She adapted to her circumstances scarily fast. After all, she was a survival artist.