THE BILLIONAIRE STILL WANTS HER!
Chapter 144: Old house

Chapter 144: Old house

"This entire building, this grand estate, the so-called power you like to flaunt—none of it is truly yours," Lily spoke, her voice laced with warning, each word sharp enough to cut through the silence of the room.

"That Angel you cling to like a savior, she’s the one who handed you every bit of this luxury on a silver platter. But tell me, Alex—do you really believe it’s going to stay with you forever? Do you think it won’t all slip right through your fingers?"

Her words hung heavy in the air, and for a moment, Alex found himself at a complete loss, unable to string together even a half-hearted reply.

His lips parted as if to say something, anything, but the weight of her gaze pinned him in place.

"Actually—" he finally managed, but his voice faltered, the words dying on his tongue as he watched Lily rise gracefully from her seat, her movements sharp yet composed, like a storm just waiting to break.

"You know," she continued, pacing slowly across the room, her eyes scanning every corner like a predator circling its prey, "that hesitant behavior of yours doesn’t suit a man who claims to hold so much power."

She came to an abrupt halt, her gaze locking onto something by the far wall.

A vase—elegant, simple, and yet unmistakable. Her breath caught slightly, recognition flashing in her eyes like a flicker of lightning in the dark.

That vase. The same one she had once gifted to her brother years ago, a memory long buried but now unearthed like a knife to the chest.

Without breaking her gaze, her voice dropped lower, firmer. "I want that vase removed. Now."

Alex didn’t argue. He didn’t even blink.

Without hesitation, he called out for the maid, and within moments, footsteps echoed in the hallway as the staff quietly entered to retrieve the vase and carry it away.

Lily stood there, unmoving, her silence louder than any words. And just as the last trace of the vase disappeared from the room, she finally turned her eyes back to Alex—this time, colder, sharper, and filled with something far more dangerous than anger.

"What do you have to say for yourself, Alex?" Lily asked, her voice cold and unwavering. "Are you really convinced that everything you possess now—the estate, the company, the power—is going to stay in your hands for much longer?"

There was no softness in her tone, no room for pretense or empty politeness. She wasn’t here to dance around the truth.

Alex drew in a breath, his jaw tightening slightly before he spoke.

"Angel is my daughter," he said carefully, deliberately, trying to keep his composure intact. "I’m certain her inheritance will remain secure in my care."

Lily let out a short, humorless laugh, almost as if she couldn’t believe he had the audacity to say those words out loud. The sarcasm bled into her expression as she shook her head and raised her wine glass.

"How precious," she murmured, swirling the liquid in her cup before taking a slow sip. "You really believe you’re entitled to everything you’ve managed to grab just because you’ve convinced yourself you’re her protector?"

She set the glass back down with a faint clink and took a few measured steps toward him, the sharp sound of her heels echoing against the polished floor.

Her eyes never left his, and when she stopped, she stood close enough for him to feel the weight of her stare pressing into him.

"If I must be honest with you, Alex," she continued, her voice dropping to something softer—but far more dangerous, "you’re quite the cunning man. I’ll give you that. I don’t know how you managed to maneuver things so cleverly that my niece’s entire inheritance slipped into your hands, but here’s what you fail to understand."

She took a step closer, her gaze burning straight through him.

"You only made the first move. And it was foolish, because you never thought about the next ones."

Her words sliced through the air like a blade. She paused, letting the tension settle before she delivered her final blow.

"Did you really think that keeping Angel under your roof, parading her around as a child who needs protection, would guarantee that all of this—" she gestured around the lavish room, "—would belong to you forever? She’s growing, Alex. And with every passing day, she becomes less of a pawn and more of a rightful heir. The same authorities who handed you this power will one day look at her and realize exactly who should be standing in your place."

Her voice hardened, her eyes sharp as steel.

"So tell me—what’s your plan then? Are you going to stand back and watch everything you bled for, everything you schemed for, handed over to the very girl you’ve spent your life trying to control?"

She didn’t look away. Not for a second.

As Lily’s words settled in the air, heavier than the silence that followed, Alex couldn’t deny the uneasy chill creeping beneath his skin.

There was truth in everything she had said—and that truth shook him more than he cared to admit.

The thought of losing everything he had built, everything he had fought tooth and nail to control, made his stomach twist.

He drew in a breath, trying to steady himself.

"So, what exactly are you implying, ma’am?" Alex asked finally, keeping his voice calm despite the storm brewing inside him.

Lily’s lips curved into a knowing smirk, her eyes glinting with something dangerous and amused.

She let out a soft chuckle before she replied, almost teasing, "That’s what I appreciate about you, Alex. Always cutting straight to the point. You don’t waste your breath on sentiment."

Alex offered her a small, shaky smile, lowering his head slightly as if in modest acknowledgment, but his thoughts were racing.

Lily took a slow step toward him, her voice dropping into something quieter, more conspiratorial.

"The truth is, since Angel is growing—since she’s now reaching the age where everything she owns by right will naturally fall into her hands—why don’t we save her from that burden?"

She paused, letting her words hang deliberately.

"Why don’t we collect it for her?" Lily said, blunt and without hesitation. "Keep it safe, keep her safe. She’s too young to understand the dangers that come with power and fortune. Someone has to protect her from the world."

Alex stayed silent for a moment, his expression unreadable as he processed her suggestion.

He understood exactly what she meant—it wasn’t protection she was offering. It was possession disguised as guardianship.

Eventually, he nodded once, slowly.

"Alright then," he said quietly. "I don’t see a problem with the idea, but tell me—what’s the plan? What exactly do you want us to do?"

A sly smile flickered across Lily’s face.

"Simple," she replied, her tone light but her meaning anything but. "We just need to make sure Angel pays a visit to her ancestral home. Once she’s there... you won’t have to worry about the rest."

She let the implication hang, and for the first time in the conversation, Alex felt the full weight of her strategy settle over him like a trap already set.

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