Husband With Benefits-Chapter 847: Lost

Lily gently patted her father’s pillow, fluffing it with care, before helping him sit up. As she did, she struggled to keep the smile on her face, even as her father’s soft voice broke through the silence.

"Have you spoken to Cai today?" he asked, his tone tinged with a wistfulness that tugged at her heart.

It was clear he had accepted the idea that she had spoken up out of love for Cai that day about being a willing replacement for him, and he didn’t blame her for doing what she believed was right. He seemed content with the notion, almost relieved, as though it gave him a measure of peace.

But the truth was much more complicated. She hadn’t spoken to Cai. Not since he had left a week ago, after painstakingly arranging everything here. And certainly not after she posted that clarification—the one that had almost crucified her online. He’d gone radio silent and she didn’t know what to do.

For days, the storm that followed had been relentless, consuming her with regret. Every word she had typed, every choice she had made, was dissected and twisted until it felt like her very soul had been laid bare for strangers to judge. Mercifully, someone had come forward, revealing the entire scandal to be the work of someone seeking revenge from Cai, The furor had died down, dissipating as quickly as it had erupted. But she remained unsure. If she had stayed quiet, unaware of everything, would Cai have returned then? Would he have come to see her?

But now, along with the fading storm, her relationship also seemed to have faded into darkness. People had stopped whispering about them, stopped questioning her or his every move. Even the nurse, the one who had so earnestly warned her about the fallout, now seemed to look at her with pity. Perhaps, she thought grimly, even the nurse believed that Cai and she were never as close as everyone had once assumed.

Her father’s voice broke through her thoughts again, gentle but probing. "Are you still worried about me? Is that why you don’t tell me about him?"

Lily sighed, her shoulders sinking under the weight of his words."I am worried about you, Papa," she admitted. "But what do you want me to tell you?"

Her heart ached as she looked at him, his frailty so evident it made her chest tighten. She wanted to shield him from the truth, from the mess her life had become, but at the same time, she didn’t know how to keep hiding it all without him gettin suspicious.

He’d already asked her why he was not here and she’d told him about the scandal though not in detail. Just that someone from the past had tried to harm him and that he was busy handling it.

"Fine," her father said after a moment, his voice softer but no less probing. "If you don’t want to talk about Cai, then tell me what’s going on between your mother and you."

Lily froze, her hands stilling in her lap. The question was one she had dreaded even more so than his regular of if she had seen Cai, but she had known it was coming. She shook her head slowly, offering a faint, tired smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.

"Papa, there’s even less to say about that," she replied quietly. "I mean, you already know how things stand between us."

Her father frowned, the creases in his forehead deepening with concern. "But you told me that you and your mother were going to work on things. That’s what you promised me. And that is what she promised me."

"Yes, Papa," Lily said, "I did say that. And we will. But these things take time. It’s not something we can fix overnight."

He sighed heavily, the sound filling the room as he stared at her. He’d never realized just how strong and stubborn his daughter had become.

Meanwhile, Lily was worried about her father. She could see the worry etched in his face, the lines that seemed to have deepened with every passing day. "I understand that," he said, his tone gentler now. "But the two of you aren’t even in the same room most of the time. Every time your mother comes, you leave. And when you’re here, she’s nowhere to be seen."

"Papa..." Lily trailed off, searching for the right words to reassure him. "Please, don’t try to rush this. I know how it looks, but sometimes space is what’s needed. We’ll handle it. Everything will be taken care of soon. Okay?"

Her father’s gaze lingered on her for a long moment, searching her face for something she wasn’t sure she could give him. Finally, he nodded, though the worry in his eyes didn’t fade.

"Alright," he said, his voice quieter now. "I’ll trust you on this. But, Lily..." He hesitated, as though unsure whether to say more, before continuing. "Don’t wait too long. Time doesn’t always wait for us."

The words settled heavily between them, a reminder of all the things left unsaid, of the fragile threads still binding their family together. Lily forced another smile, but her chest ached.

"I know, Papa," she whispered. "I won’t." But she didn’t know how to tell him that. How could she forgive the betrayal her mother had dealt her. But even so, maybe it was okay to let her father believe that. And later, she would find excuses to not go back home. He would slowly come to accept it that this was a truce.

Before she could say anything more or even think of what to say, a knock on the door startled her and her father. And when she looked up, she could only stare.

She heard her father say something though she had no idea what it was he said. Because her mind had gone all blank as her eyes drank in the sight before her. Caius Frost was back.