Chapter 79 An Evening at the Beach

During dinner, they each ate in their rooms. After finishing the meal, Lillian returned to her room. She didn't want to go to the beach with Alexander in the evening, but she found it difficult to refuse him face-to-face. So, she thought of making up some excuses.

While she was contemplating, a servant knocked on her door and said, "Mrs. Sinclair, Mr. Sinclair says he can't accompany you to the beach tonight. He is with Mr. Ethan at Oakwood Lodge. He asked you to go to bed early tonight and not wait for him."

Upon hearing this news, Lillian breathed a sigh of relief and nodded. "I understand."

She looked out at the still bright golden sky and then called the servant back, asking, "Do you know how to get to the beach?"

"Mrs. Sinclair, are you going to the beach? I can take you there," the servant replied.

"Thank you," Lillian said, feeling very pleased. She thought that playing at the beach alone would be more relaxing and enjoyable.

After speaking, the servant went downstairs to wait for her. Lillian found a long, bohemian-style dress, bright red like burning flames. Then, she let her hair down, undoing the braids she had worn in the morning and allowing her hair to wave naturally. She pinned a sunflower behind her ear and finally wore a sun hat—it didn't matter if there was no sun, as long as she looked beautiful.

Lillian followed the servant out of the door and walked about 600 feet to the coastline. The sunset's afterglow shone on the sea, dyeing it peachy red.

“Wow! It's so beautiful!” Lillian exclaimed from the bottom of her heart. It was the first time she had seen such a vast and spectacular sea. There was no one on the beach, so she wasn't worried about being mocked by others.

"Can you help me take a few photos?" Lillian handed her phone to the servant. "It won't take much of your time."

"Mrs. Sinclair, you are too kind. It's my pleasure," the servant replied, taking the phone and following her towards the beach.

The maid took several pictures of her, and Lillian was very satisfied. The filters were chosen appropriately, and the angles were just right, almost like a professional photographer's.

"Oh my goodness!" exclaimed Lillian, covering her mouth in surprise. "These photos you took are amazing! Am I really this beautiful?"

"As long as Mrs. Sinclair is satisfied," the maid respectfully replied. "You can stay here and enjoy yourself. Melvin needs me for something, so I have to leave for a while, but I will come back to pick you up later."

"Okay, you go ahead," Lillian said. Then she thought to herself, 'This maid is really professional, and since I have a poor sense of direction at night, it's perfect for her to come back later.'

She casually took a few pictures of the sea and sent them to her chat group of good friends. Angela and Wendy both asked her how she had been these days.

"Eating well, living well, and not getting scolded. I even honed my acting skills. After returning to the country, I can start my acting career," Lillian joked in the group chat.

"Hahaha!" Wendy sent a voice message, laughing loudly. "Sounds like you're having a lot of fun!"

Angela asked, "Are you alone at the beach? What about Alexander?"

"He had some work to do tonight, so I came alone," Lillian replied.

Angela said, "Don't stay out too late. Be careful not to get lost on the way back."

Wendy said, "Lillian, I envy you so much!"

The sky gradually darkened. As expected, Alexander was not lying to her. There were indeed bioluminescent creatures along the coast, all connected like a string of colorful lights.

"It's so beautiful!" Lillian looked down at the bioluminescent creatures in the sea and couldn't help but sigh. She softly spoke to them, "Forgive my poor language, but I can only use this sentence to praise you."

A wave splashed up, hitting her feet and making it feel like countless little fish were dancing on her feet. Lillian let out a scream and jumped to the shore.

As the tide receded, there were small crabs left on the shore, raising their claws and crawling to the side. She picked one up, tilted her head to look at it, and then let it go. The crab, now freed, quickly scurried away.

"The beach is so much fun!" Lillian shouted.

At the beach under the night sky, the sound of the waves echoed, with each wave pushing the previous one. In the distance, she could see figures, both males and females, and occasionally hear their voices, which made Lillian feel less afraid.

The considerate maid had earlier prepared a set of beach tools for her, and now she was ready to build a sandcastle.

In a good mood, Lillian hummed a song while building the sandcastle, just like a child. Before long, the first layer of the sandcastle was completed. She took a picture and sent it to the chat group of good friends with the caption "under construction."

Angela asked, "Are you not done playing yet? Is there someone with you?"

Lillian said, "The servant will come to pick me up soon. Don't worry."

She played alone for a while. After finishing a simple sandcastle, she noticed that there was no one else around, only the sound of the tide accompanying her, wave after wave.

"What time is it now? Why hasn't anyone come to pick me up?" Lillian checked the time and realized it was almost nine o'clock.

She looked around and suddenly felt very scared, 'Everything looks the same around here. How am I going to find my way back?'

Taking pictures, catching crabs, and building sandcastles had already taken her away from where she came from. She didn't know how many feet she had walked. Although she could find her way back along the coastline, she was too afraid to take a step on the dark beach.

Lillian dialed Alexander's number on her phone, but no one answered.

"Why isn't he picking up the phone?" Lillian anxiously said, squatting next to the sandcastle.

Just as she was about to dial again, Lillian suddenly heard someone shouting her name in the distance, "Lily! Lily!"

'Lily? Only Alexander calls me like that. Is he here?!'

"I'm here!" Lillian quickly stood up, waving her hands. "Alexander, I'm here!"

Upon hearing the voice, Alexander ran over with someone and saw Lillian standing before him unharmed. He excitedly rushed forward and hugged her tightly. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

'Oh, Alexander's embrace felt so comforting. It was so difficult for her, feeling scared but still being able to enjoy his embrace,' she thought.

"I'm fine, just really scared! I called you, but you didn't answer! I couldn't find my way home," Lillian choked out.

"Don't be afraid!" Alexander comforted her, gripping her shoulders. Nervously, he asked, "Did you fall into the sea? Were you staying by the shore the whole time?"

"No, I didn't fall into the sea. What happened to you?" Lillian curiously asked.

Alexander closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then hugged her again, saying, "I'm relieved that you're okay. You scared me."

Lillian was completely shocked by his embrace, feeling speechless as she allowed him to hold her. She could still hear Alexander's strong and fast heartbeat. She thought to herself, 'What really happened? Does he think I fell into the sea? Is that why he's so worried?'

She didn't dare to speculate further, afraid that she would overthink it.

After a moment, Alexander released her and said to the bodyguard who had followed, "Everything is fine here. You can go back."

"Alright, Mr. Sinclair." The bodyguard replied.

Alexander lowered his head and asked softly, "Do you want to play a little longer?"

Lillian remained silent. She didn't want to go back because everything beside the ocean was so beautiful. But she couldn't stay alone with Alexander. She was afraid of falling into the trap of self-delusion.

“You must be tired. Let's go back.” Alexander said understandingly, gently taking her hand as they both walked back along the beach.