She quickly reached to silence it, not wanting to disturb him.

But he woke up instantly at the sound.

Seeing her awake, he was first surprised; then his eyes brightened, and he hugged her.

His chest was warm and solid, and she clung to it, feeling a deep sense of security, as if his embrace could shield her from the world's evils.

Lilah pressed her face to his chest, listening to his steady heartbeat, and felt a wave of comfort.

“Lilah," he said seriously, “you can't do anything so risky again, understand?"

Lilah felt a bit embarrassed.

Thinking quickly, she wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled.

“I know I was wrong. I won't do it again."

Anyone else seeing her like this would be shocked. After all, Lilah was known for being cold. How could she be so tender?

“Don't worry. I'll make sure this doesn't happen again," he said, stroking her soft hair, his gaze intense.

Gentle moonlight streamed through the French windows, making the room look even more enchanting.

The next morning, when Lilah woke up, she noticed she had missed several calls from Absolon.

She hastily called back. Absolon was deeply concerned upon learning about the attack abroad.

After a brief explanation, Lilah wanted to return with Gerard to ease his worries completely.

Danna, Karol, and Kaden were all at home. When Lilah arrived at the Morris family villa, Danna and Kaden were tending to the injured Karol. Surprisingly, they didn't criticize Lilah for once.

"I heard you saved Karol," Danna said as she descended the stairs and spotted Lilah waiting.

Lilah remained silent, her expression unchanged.

Danna scoffed, “Don't expect us to praise you. You're just doing your duty as Karol's sister."

Lilah was at a loss for words. But she refused to stoop to Danna's level.

“What? You want a medal?" Danna taunted, seeing Lilah's silence.

“Grandma, please don't say such things."

Karol's voice intervened from the staircase corner.

Danna bolted upright, her voice sharp as she scolded the maid, “How could you let Karol leave on her own?"