Lilian was having a piece of cake; she didn't dare to make any noise because she didn't want the two to know she was here.
"She joined in the celebrations every year in the past, and this year is no exception," Sebastian answered calmly.
Eleanor frowned dramatically and couldn't help raising her voice, "She could attend the event in the past, but not this year. Everybody knows here from that gossip now. If paparazzi ask us why she's here, how could we explain?"
Sebastian was silent for a while. Then he said indifferently as if he couldn't care less, "Then I'll tell them that she's my wife."
"What?"
Eleanor was not the only one that was surprised. Lilian, who had eavesdropped behind the pillar, almost choked by the cake. She covered her mouth and couldn't believe what she had just heard. She wondered why Sebastian suddenly make their marriage public.
"Have you lost your mind? You want to admit your relationship now? No, I won't let you!" Eleanor rejected decisively.
"Mom, how long are you going to keep hiding this?" Sebastian seemed to be as decisive as her.
"It will go public, but not now. Her gossips were spreading all over the city now. If you get yourself involved at this moment, what can we say to the public? It will ruin your reputation and have a great impact on the company's stock price!" Eleanor insisted that Sebastian should keep the marriage in the darkness because he had chosen to do so. If this got out, it would be a disgrace to the whole family.
"That was the reason I want to make our marriage public. I don't want that paparazzi gossip about her anymore, and I don't want other men to approach her with intentions." Sebastian pursed his lips, looking so stern.
Lilian strode away when she heard his words. Eleanor was stunned. She tried to catch up with Lilian after she realized what had happened.
She took a small bite of the cake in her hand. She wondered if her gossip this time really meant so much to Sebastian that he actually wanted to declare his dominion over her to keep other men away from her. That was ridiculous.
What Lilian didn't know was that she was not the only one that was eavesdropping. Joanna had also heard it by accident.
Joanna thought that the Palmers would hate Lilian even more after the gossip went out; therefore she was surprised to hear that Sebastian wanted to make their relationship go public.
If their marriage got public, her relationship with Sebastian would mean nothing. She had been with Sebastian for so long, and he was her first man. She had once decided she would have no other men in the future, and therefore she couldn't accept the fact that she got nothing from him.
She just couldn't let that happen.
Lilian was sitting on the stairs. She didn't care how much her shirt was worth. There was an open-air swimming pool in front of him. She was about to finish her last piece of cake.
“Who's that little kitten eating there?" Lilian heard somebody asked jokingly behind her.
Lilian was frustrated. She raised her head and saw the charming and narrow eyes of the stranger. He grinned a naughty smile. Lilian found this face familiar.
She gobbled the last piece of cake. Then she dusted herself and stood up. The pain from the wound on her leg was so sharp that she almost fell to the ground again. However, she was lucky this time because she fell into the man standing before her. The scent of men's perfume flooded in her nose. He supported her with his hands around her waist.
"You don't need to be so desperate to throw yourself at me," the man joked again.
Lilian was embarrassed. She pushed the man away without hesitation when she was sure that she could stand steadily. She said with a severe face, "I lost balance. I'm not throwing myself at you."
Sebastian put the handkerchief back and looked at the stranger, then he said coldly with a distant tone, "Hello, Mr. Benedict Hawkins. The celebration will start soon start, please take a step to the celebration hall."
"I was getting bored and needed some fresh air. I'll see you in the hall," Benedict said as he put his hand in his pocket. Then he looked at Lilian with that cheeky smile and said, "Nice to meet you, Lilian!" Then he nodded to Sebastian and turned away.
Lilian only thought the man was weird, and she was surprised when Archibald called him Mr. Benedict Hawkins.
"You two..." she was about to ask about his relationship with Archibald, but her hand was held tightly by Sebastian. He said, "Are you done yet?" Then he drew her to the celebration hall with a really unhappy face. He wondered since when the woman flirted with men so much.
Lilian staggered behind Sebastian. She suddenly realized that they were about to enter the gate of the celebration hall together. Their relationship would go public right now, right here.
She felt nervous. Her hand, grabbed by Sebastian, was leaking sweats.
When Lilian showed up in the hall with Sebastian hand in hand, the crowd gradually became silent. All the guests looked at the two in surprise.
Lilian's name was on all the headlines of the newspapers nowadays, so everyone recognized her as the woman who had an affair with Archibald Hawkins. The latest news was they visited the hospital for a pregnancy check. They wondered why she was here so soon, with another man.
They knew Sebastian as the president of an entertainment company. It was usual for him to show up with an actress at some public events, but this was Douglas' private birthday celebration, and only close friends or partners were invited. Most of them were from famous and rich families in Millpond. They wondered who Lilian represented for.
Before they figured it out, Joanna took a step out and walked to them. She naturally walked over and pulled Lilian to her. Then she said to her with an inviting smile, "Lilian, I thought you wouldn't come! It's all because Mr. Palmer invited you personally, right? Maybe we'll see each other more in the future, because I work for him, too! It's his father's birthday celebration today, and he's really a nice person. I hope you enjoy yourself."
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