Chapter 825

Stephen froze for a second, clearly caught off guard. It took him a moment to process. Two years away had really changed him. He used to be like Lily—quiet, low-key, wore glasses, always hiding behind his calm demeanor. Now? Whole different vibe. No glasses, more mature, more confident. "Lily…" he said softly, walking toward her. "Long time no see." Lily blinked, snapped out of her thoughts, then checked the time. "Yeah, been a while." She needed to get home—Nicholas was waiting. She couldn't just leave him hanging. "Lily, can we talk?" Stephen asked. She paused, then shook her head. "Sorry, I have to go home. My husband's waiting for me." Stephen stiffened, eyes anxious. "Lily… you're trying to get back at me, aren't you?" She'd tied the knot before even finishing her internship? No way. "No. My family was pushing hard, so we just got the license early." Lily wasn't lying—never had been the type to lie. But Stephen didn't buy it. "Lily… you're still mad at me." His voice trembled a bi