Mrs. Wellington had been insisting on visiting for days, and Smith hated the idea.
Not because he didn't love his mother—he did. But because he knew exactly what she would do the moment she stepped into the house.
Observe.
Question.
Notice how strange things were between him and Lily.
Which was exactly why he had been avoiding the conversation.
Unfortunately for him, his mother was not someone easily ignored.
"You still haven't brought Lily to visit me. You won't even allow me speak to her," she complained over the phone.
"You were the same person who told us to go on a month honeymoon, Mom. To stay locked in, remember?" Smith asked, already annoyed. "And besides, you've seen her multiple times before the wedding and even during the wedding. It's just been a week and some days and you're already missing her?" he continued.
"I understand that you can be a brat, but can you be sensitive for once? What's stopping you from letting me speak to her? And I suggested that honeymoon so you two could get to know each other very well. I strongly believe you're not doing that."
"You strongly believe, or there's someone telling you something?" he asked dryly.
"We're not a real couple. I don't think it's necessary to get intimate."
Mrs. Wellington sighed dramatically.
"How you manage to own and run a big prestigious organization is still a wonder to me. You're not acting like you came from my womb."
"I'm beginning to wonder the same thing," he replied with a smirk.
She ignored him completely.
"I'm coming over."
"You don't have to stress yourself."
"Oh please," she scoffed. "From here to your place isn't even up to an hour, and I'm going with a driver."
"It's actually an hour and twenty minutes," he corrected her.
"Whatever."
She ended the call before he could argue further.
Smith stared at his phone briefly before muttering under his breath,
"This woman…"
The front door opened.
Mrs. Wellington stepped inside elegantly, gently removing her sunglasses.
"Natalie?" she called lightly.
There was no response.
She walked further into the sitting room and smiled almost immediately.
Lily sat comfortably on the couch, legs folded beneath her, a bowl of snacks resting on her lap while she watched television, completely lost in the movie.
"Don't go in there, you're obviously going to die," Lily muttered dramatically at the TV before shoving another snack into her mouth.
Mrs. Wellington chuckled softly.
Lily's head snapped toward the sound. Her eyes widened slightly before relaxing.
"Oh… Mrs. Wellington—I mean, Mum," she corrected herself quickly with a sweet smile as she sat upright."I didn't hear you come in."
Mrs. Wellington smiled warmly.
"I can see that."
Lily laughed softly and stood up properly.
"How are you, Mum? No one mentioned you were coming."
"I'm fine, dear." Mrs. Wellington walked closer and gave her a brief hug.
"That brat didn't tell you?"
Lily smiled.
"Smith, you mean? Nah, he didn't."
Mrs. Wellington sighed dramatically.
"Typical."
"And how are you?" she asked.
"I'm good," Lily answered quickly.
Mrs. Wellington studied her for a moment before smiling again. She had liked Lily from the very first day she met her. The girl was lively, expressive, and impossible not to notice.
And now, seeing her this relaxed made her like her even more.
"So this is how you spend your afternoons?" she asked playfully, glancing at the snacks and television.
Lily looked down at the bowl dramatically.
"This is stress management."
Mrs. Wellington burst into laughter.
"Oh, I definitely missed this energy."
Lily grinned proudly.
"I try my best."
Mrs. Wellington sat beside her comfortably.
"And how has my son been treating you?"
Lily froze for a split second before smiling awkwardly.
"Uhh…"
Mrs. Wellington narrowed her eyes knowingly.
"That bad?"
She was definitely going to teach Smith a lesson later.
"No! I mean… not exactly bad." Lily sighed softly.
"He's just…"
"Complicated?" Mrs. Wellington completed for her.
"Yes!" Lily pointed immediately.
The older woman laughed softly.
Lily looked at her fondly. Mrs. Wellington was such an easygoing person. And one would hardly believe she was Smith's mother. She looked so young and beautiful, always carrying herself with elegance and class.
The first time Lily saw her during the wedding preparations, she couldn't stop staring.
'Is she really Smith's mum? She looks so young', she had wondered.
And now seeing her again, she still found it hard to believe that Mrs. Wellington and Smith were related. They were like people from completely different worlds.
"Does he—"
Lily was interrupted by the sound of footsteps from the stairs.
Smith came downstairs while adjusting the sleeve of his shirt. He stopped immediately when he saw them together.
Lily looked up at him, her gaze lingering a little too long.
She hated being like this.But she couldn't help it either.
"Madam Wells," he called casually.
His mother glared at him immediately.
"Whoa, whoa, what now?" he asked with a slight smile as he walked fully into the sitting room.
"You only decided to come downstairs now? I'm sure you saw me through the window before I entered."
A laugh escaped his lips.
"How sure are you?"
He picked up the remote and paused the movie.
Mrs. Wellington rolled her eyes before looking between him and Lily carefully.
"You know," she said casually, "Lily was just telling me how difficult you are."
Smith looked at Lily before facing his mother again. He sat on the couch opposite them and crossed one leg over the other.
"Everyone says that."
Something about his statement made Lily's chest tighten slightly.And she couldn't say why
"I didn't say difficult exactly," she defended quickly.
Mrs. Wellington raised a brow.
"You called him complicated."
"That sounds better."
Mrs. Wellington giggled softly.
Smith stared at both of them in disbelief.
"You two get along quite well."
"Well, unlike someone, your mother is actually easygoing."
Smith hummed thoughtfully and nodded.
"So tell me," he said, staring directly into her eyes while crossing his arms,"what else do you have to say about me?"
Mrs. Wellington watched the both of them quietly, the corners of her lips curving upward.
She loved stories that started like this.
Lily tried hard to avoid his gaze.
She hated the way he looked at her sometimes.
Like he could see right through her.
"Is that all?" he asked calmly.
"Doesn't 'complicated' describe everything about you?"
He scoffed softly.
Her eyes unconsciously drifted down his body.
Two buttons of his shirt were undone, exposing part of his chest.
'Must he always look seductive without even trying?' she cried internally.
'Snap out of it, Lily', she scolded herself quickly.
"If you continue staring at me like that," Smith said smoothly, placing both hands on the armrest of the sofa,"I might actually start believing you've fallen in love with me."
"You think too highly of yourself."
"That's because I have everything it takes to make a woman drool."
Mrs. Wellington watched them quietly, amusement dancing in her eyes.
This was the first time she had seen her son speak this comfortably with a woman that wasn't her.
And despite all the awkwardness between them—
There was already something there.
Neither of them realized it yet.But she could see it clearly.
"Reason why you flirt with girls however you like," Lily muttered under her breath.
Not loudly—
But Mrs. Wellington heard it.