Chapter 431

When Alexander noticed the change in her face, he sensed a sensitive topic and immediately said, "If you don't want to talk about it, you don't have to."

Lily was grateful for his consideration. His thoughtfulness over the past few days had allowed her to let her guard down completely. She realized that she and Nathaniel had never truly shared their lives with each other. Despite their long relationship, a genuine bond had never formed; they had kept secrets and maintained emotional distance, inevitably leading to their current situation.

"I've never told you about my family," Lily said, warmly taking his hand and leading him to the sofa.

Alexander, seeing her gentleness, quieted, took her hand, and nodded slightly. "Yes."

"I was born in Brown City," she said slowly. "I'm from the Lodge family."

"The Lodge family?"

"Yes."

The Lodge family of Brown City was well-known, much like the Russel family of Sapphine, the Tanner family of Ruby City, and the Richards family of the capital. Although discreet, the Lodges were renowned for their ancient kickboxing technique. Less was publicly known about them than the other families, lending them an air of mystery. They maintained a low profile, so only prominent family members were widely known. Information about children and in-laws remained private; hence, Alexander's unfamiliarity with Lily's connection. "Wilfred Lodge is my maternal grandfather. That's why I didn't inherit the Lodge surname," she explained, looking into his eyes. These were words she had held back for years.

Though she didn't currently use the Lodge surname, she had been Lily Lodge. At eighteen, she left the family for college. Later, after joking about working in the perfume industry and insisting on staying with Nathaniel, she nearly severed ties with the Lodge family—a separation she also desired, escaping the suffocating and depressing environment. Nathaniel, therefore, was more than a boyfriend; he was her lifeline to freedom from the family.

The Lodge family remained distant for a long time, seemingly having cast her out. Lily knew, however, that this was impossible; their blood bound her to them forever.

Sure enough, Justin contacted her some time ago and continued to appear at her home. More significantly, she felt a power awakening within her, as if she had been asleep and was slowly waking up. Alexander, being perceptive, quickly understood. "So, this crane is for your grandfather?"

Alexander knew Wilfred was celebrating his 70th birthday. As a family friend, he had already prepared a gift. He hadn't expected his wife to be related to them.

"Yes," Lily said, turning to look at the crane. "Do you remember that pair of wooden dolls?"

"The ones that made you want twins?" he joked. Lily shot him a stern look. "I wanted to commission a meaningful sculpture from the young man at the woodcarving shop for my grandfather's birthday. However, Benedict suddenly quit and disappeared. I didn't expect him to complete the piece and send it to me."

"Benedict?"

While Lily's explanation focused on Benedict's sudden disappearance and reappearance, Alexander seemed fixated on the young man's gender.

"Yes, he's very young, about my brother's age. That's all!" Lily said, rubbing his hair to soothe his jealousy. 'This guy is possessive! How can he be jealous over a few words? Does he think all men are his rivals?' she thought.