They took their seats.
The fine food and wine were soon served. Morrison reached for the bottle of red wine he'd asked the waiter to decant earlier, intending to pour Lilian a glass. But she quickly raised her hand, shielding her wine glass protectively.
"I don't drink, Mr Morrison. Besides, you shouldn't either — you still have to drive later, right?"
A law-abiding citizen through and through, Morrison couldn't help but smile at the earnest look on her face.
"No worries. I can call my driver," he said smoothly.
He then motioned for her to move her hand.
"You should have a little, too. After all, it's our first dinner date. A little celebration wouldn't hurt."
Lilian bit her lip, hesitating briefly before finally removing her hand. First date, huh? Maybe it was worth marking the occasion after all.
Morrison poured her a glass, then topped up his own.
Bathed in the soft glow of candlelight, Lilian found herself staring at the handsome man opposite her — his features sculpted like a statue, every movement graceful as he poured the wine.
She remembered a few days ago when the idea of falling in love had first struck her on a whim. She'd created a secret online account under the name: Lilian Dejan.
It was meant to document the journey and details of her romance. Since she never intended to marry or love, this was probably her one and only relationship — something worth recording.
After registering, she'd posted a message:
Find a man who shines brighter than the sun.
Fall into a love that takes your breath away.
And then,
Have no regrets in life.
Yes, indeed. She had written about a man who shone with dazzling brilliance — and sitting right across from her now was exactly that man.
Both his appearance and his personal prowess could be summed up with those very words.
He held the entire empire of the Morris family in his hands. His talent was extraordinary, his charisma untamed, his looks strikingly handsome.
Of course, he was also a notorious womanizer.
He was Burg Eltz — one of the most sought-after men women dreamed of marrying, yet he had never taken a wife.
He was wicked, dangerously so. But women loved him nonetheless — living proof that the old saying is true: bad boys get the girls.
Lost in those thoughts, Lilian was snapped back to reality as the man opposite her raised his glass after pouring their wine.
"What are you thinking about?"
The candlelight was dim, but his eyes burned bright and intense.
Lilian felt as if his gaze had seared her, startled, she lifted her glass in return.
Their glasses clinked crisply in the air — a clear, ringing sound that marked the beginning of their relationship.
After a refined sip, Morrison spoke.
"Since we're officially seeing each other now, do you have any requests for me?"
To be honest, Morrison had never been involved in a romance quite like this — one where he seemed to hold the upper hand, yet wasn't truly in control.
He was "in charge" only because she was utterly inexperienced in love, while he was a seasoned player guiding the dance.
But since he had to follow her steps, he often found himself reluctantly playing the submissive role.
Lilian took a small sip of wine, only to grimace immediately — the taste was far too bitter for her liking. Though born into the Burg Eltz family, she had almost never been required to master the art of social drinking or formal entertainments.
With a capable older brother like Dave, she could comfortably live as the cherished daughter of the Burg Eltz, free from the endless rounds of social events other heiresses were forced to endure — events designed solely to secure better investments for the family business.
Nor was she pressured like others to marry early for the sake of alliance and family benefit.
She was grateful to her parents and brother for providing such a privileged and sheltered life, allowing her to simply be herself, without compromise.
Quickly setting down her glass, refusing to take another sip, she looked at Morrison and said,
"My only request is… please don't let my brother or anyone else find out about this."
She knew her family's protective love would never approve of her being involved with a playboy like Morrison — even if it was just a fling.
She didn't want to cause them any unnecessary worry or trouble. Their own burdens were already heavy enough.
Besides, she wasn't planning on staying with Morrison long-term. She simply wanted to experience love — to live without regret.
And as a notorious rake, Morrison was unlikely to ever truly commit to her.
So it was better if only the two of them knew about this.
"Agreed," Morrison said readily — but with a mischievous smile playing on his lips.
"Though I suppose you'll have to sweeten the deal if you want me to play along properly, won't you?"
Lilian blinked, puzzled.
"What kind of sweetener?" she asked.
Morrison tilted his body slightly and raised a hand to gesture at his handsome profile. Lilian caught his meaning immediately — he wanted her to kiss him.
She recoiled inwardly. The first thing that came to mind was that unexpected kiss he'd given her at his place the other day.
Who just kisses someone they just met? And that kiss — she didn't even have words for it. His tongue had invaded her mouth! Her own tongue had gone numb from his sucking!
Now he wanted her to kiss him again? That was way too fast, and besides, it felt far too casual.
So she protested, frowning.
"If my brother finds out, it won't be good for you either. So we should cooperate — equally."
Morrison paused, surprised by her quick wit. Using that line to shut him down — not bad at all.
But just how much did she resist kissing him? Other women practically drooled over the chance to be anywhere near him, let alone in his bed.
Well, he'd agreed to follow her steps in this little "love lesson."
A charming smile spread across his face, full of mischief.
"Alright then, we'll cooperate — mutually."
He waved toward the food again, inviting her to eat.
Lilian just lifted her knife and fork when her phone buzzed. The vibration of a message.
She reluctantly put down her utensils and looked at him politely.
"Morrison, may I check my phone? It's revision time for my thesis, so it might be my advisor."
She explained carefully. After the incident in the car where he'd snatched and tossed her phone, forbidding her to look at it while with him, she'd quietly retrieved it and turned it on after getting out — but hadn't checked it until now.
Now the message buzzed again, and she wanted to ask permission first, showing at least some courtesy and manners.
Yet, even while being polite and respectful to him, she unintentionally revealed how distant she felt.
Morrison caught that too, letting out a soft laugh.
"I was just angry earlier — you don't have to take it seriously. Look all you want."
Morrison was never one to be harsh or picky with women; his outburst in the car was just a moment of frustration. There was no way he would truly forbid her from checking her phone.
"Thanks," Lilian said as she took out her phone. Sure enough, it was a message from her advisor, notifying her and a few classmates to come to his office at nine that night to discuss their thesis.
After reading, she quickly put the phone away.
"Sorry, Morrison, our advisor wants us to meet later tonight for a thesis discussion. Let's eat quickly — I have to get back and prepare. I haven't started yet," she said, a hint of anxiety in her voice.
Morrison frowned.
"Why are you still working on your thesis so late? Is your advisor a man or a woman?"
He asked instinctively — after all, many teachers nowadays weren't exactly role models. Plus, he'd planned to take her somewhere nice after dinner, to spend some quality time together...
"Mmh, he's a man, but I'm not the only one going. A few classmates are going too. The professor sent the message in our group chat," Lilian explained between bites.
"That's not right. Who meets with students in the middle of the night to talk thesis?"
Morrison was irritated — their first date already disrupted. He'd gone through the trouble of carefully planning everything, thinking since this girl had never been in love before, he should give her all the romance and sweetness he could muster. So even if they broke up later, at least their memories would be good.
That was how he treated his exes — with generosity and kindness both during and after the relationship. No wonder so many women flocked to him, one after another.
Lilian was too preoccupied to respond or engage. Her mind was focused on finishing dinner fast and getting back to prepare her thesis.
Morrison didn't press further and ate with her quietly. He barely drank any wine — since she'd head back right after dinner, he figured he should at least see her off personally. After all, she was a student, busy with thesis and graduation, and academics deserved respect.
Not long after they started eating, Lilian had already finished her meal.
Morrison heard Lilian say she was done eating and was ready to leave. He twitched his lips but forced a smile.
"Well… let's go. I'll walk you back."
Before she could refuse, he strode forward and casually slipped a large hand around her slender waist, pulling her gently into his arms.
Lilian jumped back in surprise and quickly pushed his hand away, taking a cautious step back and shooting him a wary glare.
Morrison chuckled helplessly and raised his hand in surrender.
"Okay then… let's just hold hands."
He really was too impatient, always thinking about skipping ahead instead of starting with the basics.
No sooner had he spoken than Lilian took another step back, her delicate face scrunching up in what looked like pure disgust.
"Holding hands is such a hassle. Sweaty palms and all. Let's just skip it."
With that, she turned on her heel and strode out of the private room without looking back.
Morrison stood there, feeling the sting of rejection hit hard. He tugged weakly at his necktie and sighed deeply.
Dating her was like a full-time job... one that was slowly driving him crazy.