My Husband's Affair My Anniversary Gift (Lily and David) novel Chapter 186

David didn’t answer immediately. His eyes followed Lily as she moved around her booth, helping the staff arrange the jewelry with quiet focus. The soft light reflected off her earrings, making her look both elegant and distant.

“She looks… different,” Roy muttered under his breath.

David’s jaw tightened slightly. “She always was,” he said flatly, turning away, though his eyes didn’t move.

A moment later, the host approached. “Mr. Hardison, the press would love a few words before the official launch.”

David nodded absently, but before walking off, his gaze flickered one last time toward Lily’s direction.

Down below, Lily was explaining her design concept to the exhibition organizer when a hush spread across the room cameras turned toward the stage.

She looked up and froze again.

There he was standing under the bright lights, composed and cold, giving his speech as the main sponsor of the event.

Her throat tightened. The last person she ever wanted to see again was standing just a few meters away, speaking as if nothing had happened.

Linda leaned closer and whispered, “Lily… that’s David Hardison. The CEO of Hardison Corporation.”

Lily forced a calm smile. “Yeah,” she said softly. “I know.”

But inside, her hands trembled slightly as she adjusted the necklace on display. So he’s here… because of this competition?

When David stepped off the stage, his gaze drifted over the crowd and landed directly on her.

For a brief second, their eyes met.

Time froze.

Neither of them moved, yet the air between them felt heavy full of words unsaid and pain unhealed.

Then Lily looked away first, pretending to talk to Linda. David’s expression darkened faintly.

“Roy,” he said quietly, “get the list of all participants. I want to know which booth belongs to Soul.”

Roy blinked in confusion. “Soul? The new fashion house?”

Every small charm and gemstone was carefully selected, each carrying a memory she cherished.

Her design was simple far simpler than the other extravagant creations she had seen in the competitor’s previews. Some of the other designers had encrusted necklaces with diamonds, sapphires, emeralds, and platinum, their works glittering like miniature suns. Lily’s piece, in contrast, was delicate, fragile, and intimate, carrying a quiet story rather than loud opulence.

As she stepped onto the stage, the murmurs from the audience grew louder, whispers of curiosity mingling with mild judgment. Some of the younger designers exchanged glances, rolling their eyes in disdain.

“Too naïve,” one of them whispered, loud enough for Lily to hear. “This isn’t a school project.”

Lily ignored them, her focus narrowing to the judges’ table. Her hands shook ever so slightly as she placed the necklace on the display stand, arranging it so that each charm caught the soft light. She could feel David’s gaze piercing through the distance, and for a moment, her chest tightened painfully.

She closed her eyes for a brief moment, remembering her mother humming to her in the evenings, the lullaby that had soothed her childhood fears, and the wildflowers that grew untamed in the meadows near their home.

This is for her. For me. For everything I’ve held onto, she thought.

Opening her eyes, she began to speak, her voice calm but imbued with the emotion she felt deep inside. “This necklace is inspired by my mother’s lullaby, a song I’ve carried in my heart since I was a child. The charms represent wildflowers from my hometown each unique, each with its own story. Life, much like these flowers, grows in its own way, resilient and gentle.”

Her words were soft but sincere. She could feel the weight of the room, the judgments, the skepticism, but she didn’t falter. She could sense the other designers whispering, their disbelief barely masked. “Childish sentiment,” one of them muttered under her breath.