Chapter 6 Should We Tell the Family About the Secret Marriage?
"Would you stop nagging?" Finally finding an opportunity to speak, Harry interjected with a note of concern in his voice, "Lillian, why did you rush into registering your marriage with Mr. Sinclair? What exactly happened? Tell me."
In this family, only Harry truly regarded kinship with sincerity, genuinely caring for her and her brother.
"I don't know either," Lillian responded to Harry after shooting Adam a fierce glare. "After we left the hotel, he took me straight to register our marriage. I don't understand why he would do that."
"So hasty? Marriage is an affair that should involve the family’s knowledge," Harry frowned, perplexed. "How could someone from such an illustrious family take interest in us?"
"It's clear Mr. Sinclair likes Lillian—he took her to register without a second word," Adam boasted, clearly taking credit for the good fortune. "If it wasn't for me, how would such a stroke of luck have happened?"
Lillian had grown weary of their endless analysis. With quick reflexes, she snatched the marriage certificate from Adam's hands and stuffed it into her purse. She grabbed her suitcase and firmly warned them, "Mr. Sinclair wants to keep our marriage quiet for his own reasons. If word gets out from our end, and Mr. Sinclair finds out, I think Adam knows the consequences. Better to watch what you say." After she finished, she gave Lisa and Adam a meaningful look.
Lisa, though disgruntled, realized she couldn't afford to cross someone of Mr. Sinclair's standing. She nodded reluctantly, "We're not foolish. We won't create trouble for ourselves by talking."
After speaking, she turned to Adam and said, "It's late, and with the heavy snow, you should see Lillian off." She tugged at his arm and gave it a covert pinch.
Adam understood his mother's hint clearly: she wanted him to discuss financial matters with Lillian later.
"There's no need for him to see me off. Mr. Sinclair is waiting downstairs," said Lillian. "You should pretend not to know anything. It's better for you if he doesn't see you."
Harry agreed, "Lillian's right. You two stay out of trouble."
He then gave Lillian a few more instructions before sending her out the door.
The blizzard outside was furious, making it difficult to see.
Kevin saw Lillian emerge and quickly got out of the car to help her place her suitcase in the trunk before opening the door for her.
Alexander sat inside, looking down at his tablet, the screen illuminating his face. He criticized her coldly, "It took you ages just to fetch a suitcase."
Lillian had just settled in the car, feeling the comfortable warmth, when his sarcastic comment sent a shiver down her back.
"Sorry for delaying you," she apologized sincerely.
Alexander ignored her and said to Kevin, "Drive."
The car made its way to Alexander's place through the snowstorm. Lillian sat next to the car door, rigid and anxious. Though she saw him every day at the company, such close proximity was uncharted territory for her.
The warmth inside the vehicle was inviting, and with the storm raging outside, they drove slowly. Lillian's tense body gradually relaxed. Meanwhile, the road ahead was clogged with a long line of traffic.
She sat quietly, reflecting on the marriage. The more she thought about it, the stranger it seemed, but she couldn't figure out why. Just the idea of living and cohabiting with him stirred a deep sense of resistance and the desire to escape.
Did the concept of a secret marriage include his family, too? If not, then would she still need to deal with his relatives? She dreaded facing his mother. She had heard that Alexander's mother was picky and domineering, not an easy person to get along with.
With this in mind, Lillian glanced at Alexander and cautiously asked, "Mr. Sinclair, I'm wondering, does your family need to know about our secret marriage?"
"A secret marriage is only for outsiders. How could we not tell the family?" Alexander looked up and eyed her with a cold sneer, "What are you thinking? Are you worried about how to ingratiate yourself with my mother?"
Quick to clarify, Lillian waved her hands and hastily said, "No, no, no, you misunderstand. That's not what I was thinking at all; I just wanted to get a clear picture."
"Even though you are now my wife legally, you should be aware of your place and not get too comfortable or overstep," he said with scorn, returning his attention to the tablet in his hands.
His words infuriated Lillian, as if she desperately coveted the status he had extended to her.
Feeling insulted and not one to suffer such denigration, she firmly stated, "Mr. Sinclair, it was you who initiated our marriage registration. I never intended to curry favor with your mother, and these are just your baseless assumptions. What's this about overstepping? I expect at least a basic level of respect from you, so we can maintain a cordial relationship."
The driver, Kevin, overheard Lillian's statement and stealthily peeked at Alexander through the rearview mirror. No one in the secretary's office had ever dared to speak to Alexander that way before. Lillian was indeed very bold.
Predictably, Alexander looked at her with icy disdain and taunted, "So what? You want to talk about equality now? Haven't you forgotten what Adam did? What gives you the right to speak of mutual respect with me?"
Lillian was taken aback, let out a sigh. It was all Adam's troublemaking, yet she was the one shouldering the blame. However, that wasn't a reason for him to insult Lillian with his words.
She met his contemptuous gaze, and it felt like a sharp knife was slicing through her heart, leaving her speechless with all words stuck in her throat.
She turned her head away to look out of the car window in silence, inwardly cursing Adam!
Maple Grove Estate was located in the affluent suburbs to the south of the city, home to the wealthy and prestigious. She had only ever heard of the place and never imagined she'd live there one day.
After driving for over an hour, the car stopped in front of a villa. The large iron gate slowly opened, and they drove through.
Kevin led the way with the luggage, with Lillian following behind Alexander. She surveyed the yard—it was spacious with plants and trees. Everything appeared barren now in the winter, but she could imagine how beautiful it might be in summer.
Lost in thought, she missed a step and stumbled forward, falling and letting out a startled cry.
"Ah!"
Kevin and Alexander heard a voice and both turned around.
"Clumsy!" said Alexander with disdain before he walked inside.
Kevin came over to help her up, asking with concern, "Ms. Hill, are you alright?"
Lillian was so embarrassed she could barely lift her head, bending over to brush the snow off her legs and shaking her head. "I'm fine, I'm fine."
As they entered the hall, an elderly woman approached with a warm smile and spoke softly to her. "Hello, I'm the housemaid. You can call me Kelly."
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