Willy said sternly, "Grandma, please don't interfere in this matter. I can handle it myself."
The old lady snorted, "I must have been hit on the head to believe your nonsense."Willy was clearly accustomed to the way his grandmother spoke.
Without changing his expression, he stated bluntly, "If you want to see the child, I'll bring her over another day."
The old lady replied, "No, I also want to see her mother. I heard from your aunt that the girl's name is Lila. Her parents are divorced, and she didn't grow up in her birth family, but her background is still known to us. You made her a single mother for so many years—I should go apologize to her in person."
Upon hearing this, Willy finally frowned.
He was displeased. "She chose to have the child. Why should you apologize?"
The old lady was very dissatisfied with his response. She humphed and said, "Without your sperm, could she have gotten pregnant? Ah, men are really no good. They enjoy themselves in the moment, but when a life is created, they don't want to take responsibility. How did our family end up with..."
Willy didn't want to listen to his grandmother's rambling anymore and quickly interrupted, "I don't have time."
Without waiting for her response, he unilaterally ended the call.
Henry had been eavesdropping all along. From Willy's few words, he could guess the gist of the situation.
"If you can't handle your grandmother, you'll probably be pestered for life, and Stella will suffer along too," he said leisurely.
Willy pressed his lips together, his eyes dark and unreadable.
After a moment of contemplation, he said, "I know my limits. I won't let her suffer."
Henry replied, "You've created a child with the person she hates most—that's already made her suffer."
He deliberately emphasized the word "love."
Willy didn't like hearing this. Such a description intensified his disgust towards Lila.
A bright, bold face flashed in his mind. His jaw tightened, but in the end, he said nothing.
Henry glanced at him sideways, then stood up and said, "I'll still like your daughter very much. When she arrives, let me know—I've prepared a gift for her."
Friday.
Lila got off work early.
She had promised Lyra she would take her to the mall today.
But as soon as she stepped out of the building, she was stopped.
"Miss Lila, my madam would like to see you."
Lila glanced at the middle-aged man blocking her way, displeased.
For some reason, when she heard the word "madam," she had a vague premonition.
Just as she was about to push his hand away, an elderly woman with silver hair, dressed in luxurious clothing, pushed the car door open and stepped out.
She had some difficulty moving and needed support.
Squinting, she looked carefully at Lila, a faint smile on her face.
When she got closer, she asked tentatively, "Are you Lila?"
Lila was slightly stunned. She pressed her lips together and didn't answer.
She recognized her—this was Willy's grandmother. She had seen her in photos as a child.
"I'm that rascal's grandmother," the old lady said affectionately, taking Lila's hand and looking her over.
The more she looked, the more she liked her.
"My, what good taste. So beautiful—no wonder he..." she continued. "Lila, you've really been through a lot. You've allowed an old woman like me to see that rascal become a father."
The other party was too enthusiastic. It took Lila a while to collect herself.
She gently moved her hand, trying to pull it back, but the other party held on tighter.
Helpless, she had to say, "I haven't been in contact with him for many years. The child is mine alone and has nothing to do with him."
Hearing this, the old lady wasn't anxious or angry. She just gave Lila a slightly reproachful look.
Then she said, "All he did was sow the seed, without any care—what a scumbag! He deserves to never be liked by women again."
Lila was speechless.
This response was completely beyond her expectations. She had no idea how to react.
After a moment of silence, she softly suggested, "Let's go inside and sit down."
The matter had to be resolved one way or another.
Lila knew Willy's attitude all too well.
Combined with what the old lady had just said, she guessed that his last visit to her home was most likely forced.
In fact, he not only disliked her but also didn't want the child.
That was fine. It was for the best.
Once inside the shop, the old lady looked around and then gave Lila a thumbs-up.
Her eyes showed obvious admiration:
"You're remarkable. All these years... it couldn't have been easy."
Lila merely smiled at this and let it pass.
Then she got straight to the point: "If my mother hadn't taken the child to Beijing to find you on her own, none of this would be happening now. I'm sorry for disturbing you."
"But I'll say it again: the child is mine alone and has nothing to do with Willy. As the saying goes, forcing things never leads to sweet results. Whether it's him or me, neither of us has any feelings left for the other. Forcing us together because of the child is completely unnecessary."
"I hope you can respect my choice. We've been doing well all these years. Please don't come looking for us again."
In one breath, Lila expressed everything she had in mind.
The old lady frowned, her expression turning serious.
She remained silent for a long time.
When she looked up again, her eyes were filled with shrewdness.
She stared at Lila, shook her head, and stated with certainty, "You haven't been doing well."
Lila frowned and said bluntly, "I know better whether I'm doing well or not."
The old lady raised an eyebrow. "It seems I'll have to play my trump card."
Before Lila could process what she meant, she continued, "If you become my granddaughter-in-law, I can help you and your mother reclaim the shares in the Willy family that rightfully belong to you."
Although she hadn't been in Beijing all those years, she had heard plenty about the Willy family's affairs.
Helen had suffered—supporting a man through his comeback, only to see someone else reap the rewards when success finally came.
Lila was pitiful—exposed to the harshness of human nature from a young age, she ultimately became a casualty of their battles.
After speaking, the old lady watched Lila's expression closely.
Seeing her stunned for so long, she thought it over and stood up.
But before she could steady herself, her vision gradually blurred.
In just a few seconds, everything went dark.
Before she could utter another word, with a "thud," she collapsed to the ground.
The incident happened too suddenly. Everyone present was shocked.
Lila was no exception.
The old lady was rushed to the hospital. On the way, the butler informed Willy.
By coincidence, he was actually in Shanghai on a business trip.
By the time he hurried over, the old lady had already been wheeled into the operating room.
When he saw Lila, his face turned dark and terrifying.
His deep eyes were like sharp blades, seemingly piercing through her.
"What did you do to my grandmother? Did you say something to upset her?" Willy stared at Lila and demanded sternly.
"I didn't," Lila met his gaze directly.
Willy sneered, "Using the old and the young to fight your battles while keeping your own hands clean—do you really think everyone else is a fool?"
Seeing the man like this, Lila knew any explanation would be useless.
She simply stopped speaking.
She averted her gaze and looked elsewhere. It was then that she noticed the woman standing behind Willy.
Her expression instantly turned cold.
In contrast, the woman at the side curved her lips into a smile, her eyes brimming with amusement.
Soon, she greeted Lila naturally and familiarly: "Lila, long time no see."