Meanwhile, Lily was locked in her room. Her grandfather had closed the door, and no one was allowed to open it without his permission. Don Williams had also confiscated her cell phone. Lily could do nothing but comply with her grandfather’s orders, as he had threatened her. She felt powerless against him, especially as she worried about Arlo and her mother.
“Dad, can’t we let your granddaughter make her own decisions in life? Since Lily was a child, we’ve always meddled in her life. She’s not a child anymore. This has to stop. I want to see Lily happy, and I want her to choose the man she will love. I don’t want her to end up like her mother and me—living under the same roof but not happy with each other. That’s not a happy family,” David said with conviction.
Don Williams clenched his jaw and glared at his son.
“David, no matter what you say, my decision will not change. I’ve already spoken to my granddaughter, and she has agreed to my wishes. Don’t interfere anymore. Tomorrow night is her engagement party. I want the entire community to know about the engagement of Nick Dawson and Lily here at Davis Mansion. I don’t want any trouble, David. Don’t cloud Lily’s mind,” Williams said firmly.
David remained silent, unable to challenge his father.
Lily was in her room, utterly confused and unsure of what to do. Tears streamed down her face without end, her eyes swollen from crying. Her thoughts were consumed with Arlo, wondering if he was searching for her. Her grandfather hadn’t even allowed her to see Arlo before leaving, not even for a minute.
Lily cried through the night. She didn’t know if she had fallen asleep, as her head felt like it was about to explode from everything she was thinking. She hadn’t touched the food her nanny brought her either.
When Lily heard movement outside her door, she quickly got up. She heard the sound of a key turning in the lock, and the door slowly opened.
When she saw her grandfather, she ignored him entirely. Lily no longer cared if Williams became angry with her.
“What more do you want from me, Grandpa? Isn’t this what you wanted? Where’s Mom? Why haven’t I seen her yet? Where is she, Grandpa?” Lily asked defiantly.
“Lily, my dear, I’m doing this for your own good.”
“No, Grandpa, you’re doing this for yourself, not for me. I want to see Mom now!” Lily demanded. When Williams tried to approach her, she stepped back.
“Here’s your cellphone, dear. Call him. Tell him to let you go and forget about you. From now on, forget about him too. Tomorrow night is your engagement with Nick. I don’t want Arlo Bonde causing trouble one day,” Williams said.
Lily sighed deeply before taking the phone from her grandfather. She hesitated, unsure if she could bring herself to speak to Arlo. Williams cleared his throat and ordered Lily to call Arlo again. He wanted to hear his granddaughter formally break up with Arlo to ensure there would be no problems in the future.
“Lily, if you don’t want anything bad to happen to him, follow my orders. You know me, dear. I can do whatever I decide. If you don’t want your mother, Isabella, to be taken far from you, don’t be stubborn,” Williams threatened.
Lily’s chest tightened with anger at her grandfather.
“Grandpa, how could you do this to me?” she asked.
Williams didn’t answer her question. Lily checked the time on her phone—it was 10 a.m. She decided to comply for Arlo’s safety. She knew her grandfather’s word was as good as law.
She felt crushed, knowing she would hurt Arlo deeply. Arlo was the first man she had ever loved, and he made her experience things she never thought possible. How could she forgive herself for breaking the heart of the person she had once healed?
Meanwhile, Arlo was nearly going mad trying to figure out who Lily truly was. The police still had no updates.
“Eat something first, Arlo. You won’t be able to find Lily if you’re like this. You need your strength. Don’t think too much until you’ve spoken to her. Maybe she has a reason,” Gilbert advised.
“You’re right, Leo. Maybe there’s a reason for all of this, but why did she have to hide her true identity from me? I’ve told her many times that I could help her if she needed it, but why won’t she accept my help?” Arlo said, seeming lost in his thoughts.
“Sit down first, Arlo. We need to think this through carefully,” Leo suggested.
“Maybe this has something to do with my grandfather,” Arlo said.
“Arlo, you can’t be sure of that. Don’t jump to conclusions and create a scandal involving your grandfather,” Leo advised.
