My Husband's Affair My Anniversary Gift (Lily and David) novel Chapter 117

Lily stopped in her tracks and looked up at the stairs.

Carson was coming down, this time in casual clothes: a plain white t-shirt that clung to his shoulders and chest, and black joggers that hung loosely on his hips. His hair was still damp, messy, strands falling over his forehead.

Lily’s breath hitched.

For a moment, her mind went completely blank. Her throat went dry.

Damn…

She had never seen anyone this handsome up close before. It was almost unfair. He looked younger than his age, yet carried himself with an easy confidence that made it worse. His tousled hair only added to the charm, like he’d just stepped out of some magazine photoshoot.

Her heart gave an odd little thump in her chest.

Carson stopped at the bottom of the stairs, casually leaning against the railing, his sharp gaze fixed on her.

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” he said with a sly smile.

Lily quickly blinked, forcing herself to snap out of it. She clenched her fists by her sides.

“Y...You…” she stammered, struggling to gather her words. “You could’ve at least warned me before showing up like this. Do you know how scared I was?”

Carson’s smirk deepened. “Scared? You looked more… distracted to me.” His tone was teasing, laced with amusement.

Carson tilted his head, eyes glinting as he looked at Lily’s flushed face.

Lily’s face flamed red. “I wasn’t!” she snapped back too quickly, which only made him chuckle under his breath.

Carson dropped easily onto the sofa as if the cushions had been made for him. He looked every inch the Bennett heir, relaxed, spoiled, with that careless ease that said he’d never worried about money, a man who expected things to bend to his will. One hand rested on the arm of the sofa, fingers drumming slowly, the other lay in his lap. He watched Lily like he was studying a curious little bird.

“Now speak,” he said finally, his voice soft but direct. “Who are you, and what are you doing here?”

Carson chuckled again, shaking his head slowly. He leaned back, stretching his long legs in front of him, completely relaxed. “Claire isn’t the type to let anyone use her house. She’s picky. If she let you in here, it means something.”

Lily frowned lightly. “She only wanted to help me. Nothing more.”

He tilted his head, studying her again. For a moment, his eyes softened, curious, like he was trying to peel away her layers. Then he suddenly pulled out his phone from his pocket.

Lily’s heart jumped. She didn’t know what he was planning, but the way his lips curved into a sly grin made her uneasy.

He dialed a number, put the call on speaker, and leaned back again, resting his arm on the sofa lazily.

“Speak,” came Claire’s sharp, cold voice from the other side.

Lily’s eyes widened. She immediately recognized it. Her hands curled tightly in her lap.