Chapter 473 Back from Your Little Masquerade Using My Identity?
Anne was too excited to sleep, only dozing off briefly as dawn approached.
Thora was the same, though for different reasons than Anne's excitement.
After meeting Lyndon, all the handsome guys on her phone suddenly seemed ordinary.
Whether she could match up to Lyndon or not, even a brief romance that ended nowhere would be worth it.
The two got up early and brushed their teeth together.
When Anne heard Thora's decision, her mouth full of toothpaste, she asked with a mumble, "Are you sure about this?"
Thora nodded, toothbrush in her mouth too. "Nothing to lose by trying. Mr. Myles has everything going for him. Having such an outstanding ex would be something to brag about in conversations."
Anne felt that Lyndon wasn't the type to toy with people's feelings.
If he truly cared for someone, he would cherish them wholeheartedly.
The key was whether he would care at all.
After rinsing her mouth, she reminded Thora: "You haven't even secured a relationship with Lyndon yet. If he rejects you, don't take it too hard. You'll still have me."
Thora's face fell. "Can't you leave me with a little hope? I know it's unlikely I'll end up dating him."
Anne awkwardly rubbed her face. "I'm just worried about you..."
"I get it." Thora had a good attitude. "Can't overthink it. One step at a time. Life's unpredictable anyway. Who knows what tomorrow will bring."
Anne could only offer reminders and suggestions. Matters of the heart were for the people involved to decide and handle—outsiders couldn't control everything.
A knock came at the door.
Anne quickly dried her face and went to answer it.
Sure enough, it was Lyndon.
"Lyndon."
"Ready? If you're set, come out and we'll grab breakfast together."
"All set!" Anne turned to grab her phone.
Thora had finished getting ready too.
The moment she saw Lyndon, her heart started racing.
Even her makeup couldn't hide the flush creeping up her cheeks.
Anne glanced at her and started chatting with Lyndon, subtly probing for Thora's sake.
"Lyndon, you've never dated anyone. Do you have someone you like?"
Lyndon had nothing to hide from Anne. "No."
Everyone went through that phase of first crushes.
Even if Lyndon was too busy to date, having no one he liked at all—was that even reasonable?
Anne pressed on: "What about a type? What kind of woman appeals to you?"
Growing up, Lyndon had been around plenty of women.
But when the Myles family hit hard times, they all disappeared.
Later, when the family recovered, those same people came crawling back.
Such people weren't worth liking.
Over the years, his family had been screening potential marriage candidates.
But none had stirred his heart.
Lyndon remained silent for a long moment. Anne spoke up, "I shouldn't have asked that."
She was probing for Thora, but Lyndon seemed troubled by the question.
"I figured someone in your position would probably marry within your social circle."
The thought of not being able to marry for love seemed cruel to her.
"That's not it." Lyndon lifted her downcast head, his usually cool voice turning gentle. "I was just thinking seriously. I didn't want to give you a careless answer. But I truly don't have anyone I like, or even a particular type."
"I see..." Anne glanced at Thora and tried a different approach. "What about close female friends? Someone you feel comfortable with and enjoy spending time with?"
Lyndon had trained since childhood, surrounded mostly by men.
Back then, with the Myles family unstable, all his focus was on growing stronger quickly.
The only women around were family members.
In his memory, there was one girl who stood out.
A girl he'd rescued during a mission.
What struck him most was that despite her circumstances, she never cried.
When she saw him, she actually smiled and said, "You're really handsome!"
She'd been sold by her parents for being a girl.
Her family had three sons who needed money.
When he brought her home, her family wasn't pleased.
Sensing they might sell her again, she stayed with his family for a while.
Later she left for college and he never saw her again.
The Myles family was going through upheaval then too.
They moved from Harmony City to Silverlight City.
Over time, the memory faded.
Perhaps she had found her happiness by now.
"No." After careful consideration, Lyndon gave an honest, definitive answer.
This answer was both helpful and unhelpful.
Anne decided to ask Elissa about it later.
Willard hadn't slept all night.
He'd gone through those files repeatedly without finding anything useful.
He'd already crossed Lyndon anyway.
Since that bridge was burned, there was no point changing course now.
He was still going to get Anne back.
"Willard." Uma pushed open the study door, her face immediately creasing with concern. Are you trying to smoke yourself to death?"
Though Willard drank and smoked occasionally, he was never excessive.
Drinking was for business. The worst she'd seen him smoke was during those three years married to Anne.
Clearly worried but maintaining a cold distance, he'd backed himself into a corner.
"What's your next move? With the Myles family's current power, forcing Anne back won't be easy. Plus Elissa came by. She knows about Anne, and that you were faking your mental disorder. She'll definitely try to stop you too. You're surrounded on all sides."
Willard chuckled softly, tapping his finger on the desk as he gazed out the window. After a moment, his voice was casual but carried absolute determination.
"Even if the whole world's against me, Anne will spend her life with me."
Anne stumbled on the airplane steps.
"Careful." Lyndon caught her quickly. "What's on your mind?"
Anne shook her head.
She felt a chill down her spine, like being watched by a predator.
Willard remained a constant threat.
She hoped that once in Silverlight City, under the Myles family's protection, she'd never have to see him again.
"Nothing." She shook her head and smiled. "I was too excited last night and didn't sleep well. Just felt a bit dizzy."
Lyndon knew what she was worried about.
He didn't call her out on it.
"Get some good sleep on the plane then. Silverlight City's quite far."
Anne obediently agreed. "Okay."
A cold glint flashed in Lyndon's eyes.
Willard definitely knew his identity by now.
Given his possessiveness over Anne, since he'd already made an enemy of him, might as well go all the way.
The goal was to bring Anne back and keep her safe anyway.
As for making an enemy of the entire Myles family—he could handle that too.
Lyndon's gaze grew colder.
Before, when things went wrong, he couldn't protect Anne.
Now, he wouldn't let anyone hurt her again.
He unlocked his phone and sent a message: [Give Willard some trouble]
On the plane, Anne texted Elissa about their conversation that morning.
Anne: [Elissa, do you think Thora has a chance?]
Elissa had intentionally wanted to set up Thora and Lyndon.
She could tell at first glance that Lyndon had never been in love.
But someone from his background couldn't escape arranged marriages.
That's why she'd asked if he was married.
Still, matchmaking aside, feelings couldn't be forced.
Elissa: [Give them more opportunities over the next while. If there's chemistry, let it develop naturally. If not, we'll find Thora other handsome guys]
Anne replied with a thumbs-up emoji.
She put away her phone and planned their upcoming schedule.
Before she knew it, she'd fallen asleep.
Lyndon brought Anne a blanket, then covered himself with one and dozed off too.
He knew Thora was Anne's friend, but he wouldn't personally attend to her—they weren't related, and it might cause misunderstandings.
So he'd instructed the flight attendants to take care of her.
Besides, though he'd never been in love or had anyone he liked, he understood that when someone's gaze lingered on another person's face, that was attraction.
But feeling unable to return her feelings, he shouldn't create false hope.
After Lyndon fell asleep, Thora couldn't help staring at him.
But she hadn't slept well last night either, and the private jet was so comfortable that she soon dozed off as well.
A flight attendant came to cover Thora with a blanket and noticed Lyndon had woken up.
She bowed slightly. "Do you need anything, sir?"
Lyndon waved her away.
His gaze fell on Thora's face.
After studying her carefully for a moment, he opened the family group chat.
Everyone immediately responded.
Uriah: [Are you serious?]
Lyndon's aunt Yasmin: [Didn't you refuse outright when I suggested this last time?]
Lyndon's cousin Violette: [Lyndon, if you want to date, why not try my classmate? She's liked you forever, her family matches ours, and she's incredibly gentle]
Lyndon skimmed the other messages.
They all expressed shock.
After all, he didn't need marriage for political alliances. Finding someone to marry was ultimately about continuing the family line.
The Myles family needed to thrive through generations.
Finding someone with good genes would suffice.
But he wasn't in a rush—his health was fine, he was in great shape.
Even waiting a few more years, he could still father excellent children.
Now, though, he felt the timeline could be accelerated.
Once he married, Thora would give up hope.
And if Elissa introduced potential matches, she might suggest Thora first.
As her cousin, he couldn't refuse.
That would be hurtful.
Lyndon: [Going home first]
Regardless of the family chat's response, he put down his phone and got back to work.
Five hours later, Anne woke up as they were about to land.
Thora was nowhere to be seen.
"Restroom," Lyndon said.
Anne adjusted her blanket. "Did Thora get some sleep?"
Lyndon nodded.
Anne felt frustrated.
It had been a perfect opportunity.
How had Thora not seized it?
When Thora returned, Anne gave her an odd look.
Confused, Thora sat down and whispered, "What's wrong?"
Anne glanced at Lyndon across from them and texted Thora.Anne: [You could sleep anytime. Why didn't you chat with Lyndon while I was out?]
It wasn't that Thora didn't want to—Lyndon clearly wasn't interested in talking to her.
Thora: [I don't think there was an opening. He doesn't seem eager to interact with me]
Anne: [Lyndon's obviously the cold type. If you don't make the first move, you'll never get anywhere]
Thora sent back a rueful emoji.
Anne responded with encouraging emojis.
She'd completely forgotten their earlier serious conversation.
Just then, the flight attendant reminded them to fasten their seatbelts for landing.
Anne put away her phone.
Oh well.
She'd find another opportunity later.
But first, she needed to gauge Lyndon's feelings.
Lyndon had arranged a hotel for them.
It wasn't time to bring Anne to the Myles estate yet.
But he could use the filming period to arrange some dates.
Lyndon said, "The hotel has dining options, and there are lots of great restaurants and attractions nearby. You can explore on your own—I have some business to handle today and can't accompany you."
"Call me if you need anything." He looked at Anne warmly. "Do whatever you want. Put it all on my tab."
Anne's smile was sweet, her voice carrying a hint of playful wheedling. "You're wonderful."
Lyndon's eyes crinkled with amusement. "Your happiness makes me happy too."
"Go handle your business, Lyndon."
"Alright."
After Lyndon left, Anne told Thora, "Don't lose heart. When Lyndon's free, I'll sound him out more. Elissa said to create more opportunities for you two, so you must seize them."
Thora collapsed onto the luxuriously soft bed.
"I've been thinking about something."
"What?"
"Since Lyndon's never liked any woman, could he possibly be into men?"
Anne spat out her water.
Thora quickly sat up and grabbed tissues.
"Don't get worked up! I'm just theorizing. People have desires—never being attracted to anyone from childhood to adulthood seems unlikely."
"I'm single too and haven't dated, but I've had crushes. Lyndon... I'm not making this up. It's hard not to question his orientation."
Anne was stunned.
Because Thora's reasoning made sense.
Faced with this puzzle, she immediately asked Elissa.
Elissa sent a voice message, laughing for nearly twenty seconds.
Elissa: [You two have such wild imaginations. I can tell you definitively—Lyndon doesn't like men.]
Anne was curious. She texted: [How can you tell, Elissa?]
Elissa: [Experience.]
Anne: [Share some with me.]
Elissa sent several voice messages:
[It's hard to explain—each case is different. Using Lyndon as an example, his gaze never lingers on men.]
[He treats men and women exactly the same. He's just naturally emotionally detached.]
[You could say he hasn't awakened yet.]
[When he does awaken... that'll be something else entirely.]
Anne didn't fully understand. Elissa, however, knew more about Lyndon than she did, which allowed her to pick up on subtle clues. Still, Anne's understanding of Lyndon remained limited.
Anne: [That's good then.]
Elissa: [Let Thora pursue him. Don't worry about the outcome.]
Anne played the voice messages for Thora.
Of course Thora lacked Elissa's experience, but she immediately felt energized again.
Meanwhile, Lyndon entered the Global Insight Magazine building.
He took the private elevator to the top floor.
The secretarial staff greeted him: "Mr. Myles, you're here."
Lyndon nodded and pushed open the CEO's office.
The person inside looked up and teased, "Back from your little masquerade using my identity?"
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