My Husband's Affair My Anniversary Gift (Lily and David) novel Chapter 71

After a short drive, the car pulled up in front of a tall glass building. Lily glanced out the window and felt her stomach twist. She recognized this place—it was one of the city’s most luxurious hotels, with a restaurant on the top floor known for its exclusivity.

David stepped out first and offered his hand to her. She ignored it and climbed out on her own. His lips twitched into a faint smirk, but he didn’t say anything.

Inside, the restaurant was bright and airy, with floor-to-ceiling windows that gave a stunning view of the city. Everything was quiet, elegant, and intimidatingly perfect. A hostess immediately greeted them with a warm smile and led them to a private table near the window.

Lily sat down, feeling out of place. David, as always, looked perfectly put together, his tailored suit making him stand out even here.

As she placed her bag down beside her chair, she caught sight of something out of the corner of her eye—a man holding a camera, snapping a photo of them from across the room.

Her body stiffened. She turned her head slightly and locked eyes with the photographer for a brief second before he quickly looked away.

Lily’s gaze shifted to David, who was calmly adjusting his cufflinks like nothing had happened.

“You knew,” she said softly, her voice low so only he could hear.

David didn’t deny it. He met her eyes, a small smirk playing on his lips, and said nothing. That told her everything she needed to know. He’d arranged this. He wanted them to be seen together.

Lily’s stomach churned, but she said nothing. Fighting him now would only make things worse.

They ordered breakfast, and Lily picked at her food quietly, her appetite gone. David ate calmly, like this was just another business meeting. He asked her a few casual questions about the designs, and she answered mechanically, her voice flat.

Every time she looked up, his eyes were on her, calm and unreadable. It made her skin prickle. She felt like she was trapped in a cage with him, and every move she made was being watched.

The meal felt like it lasted forever.

When they were done, David stood, helped her with her bag, and led her back to the car. She followed him silently, her mind heavy with thoughts.

The car ride back was just as quiet as before. When they reached her company building, David opened the door for her and handed her the bag she’d set on the seat.

“I’ll be in touch,” he said simply.

Lily nodded, stepping out of the car without looking back. She didn’t want to see his face again—not today.

The car drove away as she stood there, clutching her bag, her heart pounding in her chest.

Lily walked into the company building with a heavy heart, her mind still replaying the everything like a movie she didn’t want to watch. Now, as she stepped through the glass doors of her company, the air felt colder than usual. The receptionist greeted her politely, but Lily barely managed a nod, her thoughts somewhere else.

Claire stepped closer, her heels clicking against the floor. “No, don’t ‘seems like it’ me, Lily. This is serious. Someone stole your work. Do you have any idea who could have done this?”

Lily shook her head, biting her lip. “I… I don’t know. I only showed the drafts to a few people. I thought everything was safe here.”

Claire sighed heavily, her hands on her hips. She glanced around Lily’s office, her expression hardening even more. “Let’s check the security cameras. If someone came in here, there has to be a record of it.”

Lily hesitated for a moment, feeling a strange mix of fear and determination. “Okay,” she finally said, pushing herself up from her chair.

They left the office together, walking briskly down the hallway toward the security room. As they walked, Lily noticed how quiet the office was. Her employees were working, but there was a tension in the air, whispers and stolen glances following her. They all must have seen the news.

When they reached the security room, Claire didn’t waste a second. She spoke to the guard firmly, asking him to pull up all the footage from the past few days. Lily stood behind her, her arms crossed tightly over her chest, her nails digging into her skin.

The guard nodded and began pulling up the videos, screens flickering as hours of footage sped by. They focused on the footage from Lily’s floor, slowing down whenever someone passed her office. Claire stood close to the screens, her brows furrowed, eyes scanning every second carefully.

“There,” Claire said suddenly, pointing at the screen. “Pause it. Zoom in.”

The guard did as she asked. The footage showed someone entering Lily’s office late at night. Lily leaned closer, her heart thudding in her chest. The person was wearing a cap and mask, making it difficult to see their face, but the way they moved was suspicious. They stayed inside her office for a while, then came out holding something that looked like a folder.