Chapter 790
Ambrose frowned slightly, staring at Lillian with obvious confusion and hidden concern.
Lillian's eyelashes fluttered slightly, "Of course, I remember everything."
Ambrose's thin lips moved, but in the end, he couldn't say anything, a bitterness seemed to spread between his lips and teeth.
After a while, he sighed lightly and said, "I get it. Even after all the hurt, all the pain… you're still willing to trust him again. Give him another shot, huh?"
Ambrose stared at Lillian, his eyes growing darker.
Lillian bit her lip, her cheeks slightly flushed, she herself felt a bit unreasonable.
After all, she had left Miracalia so decisively before, and it was Ambrose who took her away.
But now, she easily forgave Jackson, which seemed a bit self-degrading and hypocritical.
"Ambrose, I just want to give us another chance."
Ambrose's grip on Lillian's fingers suddenly tightened, his eyes seemed to be filled with suppressed emotions.
This made Lillian a bit nervous.
Her hand instinctively twitched, causing the teacup to shake, spilling some of the hot tea onto the back of her hand.
"Ouch!" she yelped.
Ambrose snapped out of it, frowning as he grabbed the teacup and set it down.
He stood, guiding Lillian's reddened hand to the sink, then turned on the cold water and held her hand under it. "Does it hurt? My bad—I zoned out for a second there."
The cool water soothed her skin.
But honestly, only a splash had hit Lillian—most of the tea had landed on Ambrose's wrist.
Lillian glanced at his reddened skin, her expression softening. "Ambrose, I'm okay. It doesn't hurt. But your hand—you should rinse it too."
Seeing that she was indeed fine and wouldn't get blisters, Ambrose turned off the faucet.
"I'm a grown man, it's nothing," Ambrose said as he took a hand towel and gently wiped the water off her hand.
The tea room became particularly quiet without any other sounds, making Lillian fidget. She curled her fingers.
"I got it myself," she said.
But Ambrose, through the towel, gently held her hand in place.
He rarely got this intense. Lillian froze, looking up at him.
Ambrose met her gaze, his voice low and rough. "Lillian…"
Lillian seemed to realize what he wanted to say. She cut him off fast, her voice slightly heavy. "Ambrose, I'm fine. Drink your tea before it gets cold."
Ambrose should understand what she meant.
They saw each other all the time—they were family. Spelling things out would just make things weird later.
But Ambrose wasn't backing down.
He kept her hand in his, his grip firm. "Lillian, I know the odds aren't great, but I've got to ask. If I don't do it now, I might never get the chance."
When Lillian met his deep and persistent gaze, she nodded and quietly waited.
Seeing her obvious nervousness, Ambrose let go of her hand and smiled.
"I'm not a virus, my looks and personality should be passable, right? Why are you so scared?"
Ambrose's smile was helpless and self-deprecating, but Lillian knew he was trying to make her relax and not put too much pressure on her by making fun of himself.
She also smiled at the right time and said, "You're more than passable, you're too outstanding, that's why I feel pressured. If it were someone ugly, bad, or scummy, I wouldn't be nervous at all."
Ambrose looked at Lillian with a slight smile, but his smile was tinged with bitterness.
At the same time, he truly felt quite pathetic.
For the first time, he genuinely liked a woman and had protected her for a long time, but he hadn't even confessed before it seemed like he was already rejected.
Ambrose, oh Ambrose, you're quite a failure.
But Ambrose's face remained calm and composed as he said, "Let's talk while drinking tea."
Lillian nodded, they sat down again and drank two cups of tea before Ambrose spoke.
"Lillian, I really like you, not in a brotherly way, but as a man who wants to take care of a woman for a lifetime.
It's been that way for a while. I didn't say anything before because you were still tangled up with Mr. Frane. I couldn't just step in.
Later, when you came back to Seaspring Valley City with us, I was so happy that night that I couldn't sleep, I paced outside your room several times.
It's not that I didn't want to tell you how I felt, or that I was unsure about it. I just saw you weren't in the right headspace for a relationship.
And then, by the time I thought I had a shot, you'd already boxed me into the family zone. I didn't want to freak you out, but if I don't lay it all out now, I'm afraid I'll never get the chance."
Lillian listened quietly, feeling touched and moved.
Not out of politeness, but objectively.
Ambrose really was a very gentle and considerate good man.
But her heart had long been filled by someone else, even if it was temporarily emptied, that person's deep-rooted, soul-penetrating mark was still there.
It seemed she had lost the ability to fall in love with any other man.
"I know, Ambrose. You've always been so patient, so careful. But I'm not clueless. A lot of the time, the way you cared for me went way beyond just family. I felt it. And I was touched, really. But Ambrose, I'm sorry, I only see you as family—nothing more." Lillian didn't beat around the bush. Her rejection was clear, no hesitation, no sugarcoating.
She was decisive, so decisive that it made Ambrose feel even more mixed emotions.
After a long pause, he finally spoke again, "Lillian, you know Grandpa and Grandma would love to see us together. Choosing me would be the easy way out, no drama. But with Mr. Frane, it's a mess. Fixing things with him is already tough enough—not to mention his parents aren't exactly on your side."
Ambrose frowned slightly. What he said was objective fact, a kind reminder.
It was out of family concern as a brother, and also out of worry as an admirer.
Lillian understood, and her heart warmed.
Her clear and determined eyes shone with fearless light.
"I know, but he and I also share the same pain and hatred, and I also want to avenge Taylor with him."
Before, she misunderstood Jackson's bias towards the Price family, but now that she knew Jackson wasn't.
Why should she distance herself from Jackson and make their enemies happy?
"Ambrose, don't worry. I've learned my lesson. I'm not about to throw myself into this blindly again."
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