CHAPTER 79: REJECTED

Just as Ethan stated, Lillian loved the restaurant. It was the perfect balance of fancy and low-key.

It felt almost traditional, with the lanterns and the open air. The piano in the background created the perfect contrast to all the simplicity.

And it helped to calm Lillian’s nerves, even if just a bit.

Ethan slowly led her towards the table he had previously booked and a waiter immediately appeared.

The waiter pulled out her chair, and Ethan waited until she sat before taking his own seat across from her.

The faint glow of lanterns cast a soft warmth over her face, making her look far more composed than she felt. Lillian folded her hands on her lap, trying not to fidget.

"I really like it here," she said, voice a touch higher than usual. "It feels... peaceful."

Ethan gave a small smile, leaning back in his chair. "Peaceful is exactly what I had in mind."

The waiter handed them menus, but Lillian barely glanced at hers. She was too aware of Ethan right now.

"Order whatever you like," he added, breaking her out of her thoughts. "Tonight’s meant to be for you."

Her heart fluttered at those words, though she tried to mask it with a nod. "Then... I’ll let you decide for me. You probably know what’s good here."

He’d probably done his research already so he’d know what was good here, plus she was so nervous that she feared she’ll just order wine and get herself embarrassingly drunk again.

"I see," Ethan gave her a nod and a smile.

The waiter left after he placed the order, and the two of them were left with the sound of piano keys and hushed laughter from the other tables.

Lillian clasped her hands tighter under the table. This was her chance. A chance to get him to see her as more than a business partner.

She wanted to say something meaningful, something that would show him how much she admired him—how much she cared about him.

But before she could find the courage, Ethan’s voice cut through her racing thoughts.

"Lillian," he began, his tone softer now, almost careful about what he wanted to say.

"I know," Ethan continued, eyes steady on hers, "about your feelings."

Lillian’s heart stuttered. For a moment, she froze, every defense she tried to prepare unraveling at once.

He didn’t look away, didn’t let her hide. "And I’d be lying if I said I only saw you as a business partner. Somewhere along the way, it... changed. You’ve become someone important to me. More than I expected."

Her lips parted, a hope flickering in her eyes.

But then his voice lowered, warm yet steady, like he was afraid of breaking something delicate. "That’s exactly why I need to be honest with you. Right now... I can’t give you what you’re looking for."

Her fingers curled against her lap, the sting immediate, though she forced herself to stay composed.

"It’s not you," Ethan went on. "It’s timing. We’re still at the beginning—of everything. The company, the battles ahead... even ourselves. If we rush this, we’ll just burn what could become something far greater."

That was a lie, he was only rejecting her because of Olivia’s betrayal. As much as he hated to admit, her betrayal hurt and he was unwilling to let anyone in just yet, not until he resolved the past.

For a long moment, all Lillian could hear was the piano and her own heartbeat.

"I’m not saying no," Ethan added, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "I’m saying not yet. Let’s grow first. And when the time’s right... we’ll see where this goes."

He leaned a bit closer, "You’re important to me, Lillian. That won’t change."

The tightness in her chest loosened, and she finally managed a small laugh. "You’re infuriating, you know that?"

She really wished he was some kind of manipulative jerk, that way it’d be simpler to hate him, in turn making it easier to let go of these feelings, but no, he just had to be like this.

"Comes with the territory," Ethan replied easily, raising his glass in a quiet toast. "To what lies ahead."

She clinked her glass against his, her nerves easing at last. Tonight wasn’t the beginning she had hoped for, but it wasn’t the end either.

And for Lillian Hayes, that was enough...for now.

"Then I’ll wait," she suddenly said while Ethan was mid drinking, "no matter how long it takes, I’ll wait."

With her words, she silently started eating, a small smile on her face. Yes, she was sad , but this was better than she expected a rejection to be.

Ethan paused, placed his glass down and looked at her for a few seconds before he gave a small smile.

She really was different.

________

The date went calmly after that. Conversation drifted to safer topics—university stories, strange customers from her Best Buy days, Ethan’s "boring" teaching experiences.

The night Passed faster than both thought and they soon found themselves back at the hotel.

When they reached her and Aria’s room door, she stopped and turned to him. For a second, she seemed ready to say something else—something braver—but she swallowed it down and settled for a soft, "Thank you, Ethan. Tonight meant a lot."

"It meant a lot to me too," he said with a genuine smile, "good night, Lillian."

"Good night," she responded before opening the door and Ethan walked back to his door.

Opening the door with a click, Ethan was faced with a dark room, which was strange because Aria was supposed to be up at this hour.

Flipping the light’s switch, Lillian almost jumped in shock when she noticed Aria on the couch, feet folded and a large grin on her face.

"Good evening, lover girl," Aria drawled, tilting her head. "Back from your date already?"

Lillian blinked, then groaned, shutting the door a little harder than necessary. "You’ve been waiting for me?"

"Waiting? Please. I was staking out." Aria leaned forward, elbows on her knees, eyes sparkling with amusement. "So? Did he confess his undying love? Sweep you into his arms? Whisper something scandalous under the lantern light?"

"Before that," she paused, "where’s whatever you were supposed to bring me."

Lillian gave a little sigh before tossing a sealed ice cream tub towards Aria who extended a hand and caught it before saying, "perfect, now tell me the details."

"Aria..." Lillian sighed, kicking off her heels.

She tried to walk past her friend, but Aria hopped up and blocked her path with all the drama of a stage actress.

"Don’t ’Aria’ me! I need details." Her grin softened into something gentler as she added, "Well? How did it go?"

Lillian stood there for a minute before saying, "I got rejected."

Her words caused Aria to freeze. Rejected? Were her senses fooling her? Did she misread their chemistry and convinced her friend to confess only for it to end up in heart break.

Before her thoughts could spiral further, she caught herself and observed Lillian’s face for a second before asking, "are you okay?"

"Yeah, I’m fine," Lillian nodded, "it’d be a lie to say that I’m not the least bit sad, but... it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be."

Aria narrowed her eyes, studying her closely. Lillian’s. Her friend didn’t seem to be lying as the smile on her face was genuine.

"...explain," Aria demanded at last, plopping back down on the couch and prying open the ice cream.

Lillian slipped onto the other end of the couch, tucking her legs under herself. For a moment she hesitated, then she said softly, "He told me he knows about how I feel. And that he... feels something too. But he’s not ready."

Aria’s spoon stopped halfway to her mouth. "Not ready?" she repeated flatly.

Lillian nodded. "He said it’s not the right time. That we still need to grow first. That if we rushed things, we’d just ruin it before it even started." She gave a light, self-deprecating laugh. "Honestly, it sounded more like something you’d read in a novel than real life."

Aria stabbed at the ice cream with unnecessary force. "Or it sounded like he chickened out."

"Aria..." Lillian’s voice carried a quiet warning, but also a bit of amusement.

"No, seriously." Aria jabbed her spoon in Lillian’s direction, ice cream dripping. "Guy likes you. You like him. Boom. Done. That’s how it’s supposed to work. But no—Mr. Genius CEO has to complicate it with timing and growth and destiny or whatever."

"Not everything’s that simple Aria," Lillian defended, "and he was right, it has barely been three months since we’ve known each other and it felt like I was rushing things."

"Three months, six months, whatever. When you know, you know. Why waste time?"

"Because not everyone’s like you," Lillian countered with a small smile. "Not everyone dives headfirst without looking."

"Excuse me, I do not dive in head first," Aria defended, "it’s called a leap of faith."

This got a laugh out of Lillian.

For a while, the only sound was the soft clink of Aria’s spoon against the ice cream tub. Then Aria said, more quietly, "Still... he hurt you, didn’t he?"

Lillian hesitated. She stared down at her hands, twisting her fingers together. "...A little. But not in the way you’re thinking. He didn’t reject me because he doesn’t care. He just... isn’t ready. And I think I can live with that."

"Alright then, let’s order some pizza and drinks and curse him out the entire night." Aria said, standing up the the ice cream bowl in hand.

"But this is a hotel, Aria." Lillian said.

"Who cares?" She muttered, already picking up the phone, "all that’s important is making you feel better."