CHAPTER 59: CHAPTER 59- EVERYONE LIKED KARL

Since her car was in the shop, Lilian had used a ride-hailing app to call for a ride after work.

It was rush hour, and hailing a cab was nearly impossible—rideshare was just more convenient.

That’s how Morrison had ended up seeing her get into a stranger’s car.

And now, he was absolutely furious.

He had waited at the front entrance, in person, ready to take her home—and she just hopped into some random guy’s car like it was nothing?

Did she have no sense of safety?

His lungs might as well have burst from sheer rage.

Over the phone, his voice dropped into a cold, commanding tone:

"Get out of that car. Right now."

Lilian was so taken aback by how unreasonable he was being, she shot back the exact same four words:

"You get a grip."

Then she hung up.

Moments later, the driver next to her cursed under his breath,

"Shit! Think just ’cause you’re driving a luxury car, you can bully people off the road?"

Lilian’s heart jumped. She turned and looked through the rear side window—

Morrison’s car was right behind them, aggressively swerving closer and closer, practically trying to box them in.

The driver wasn’t having it either. No one liked being tailgated and bullied like that, especially by some guy in a fancy car playing road king.

Lilian’s head was about to explode.

This was getting dangerous. The cars were weaving in and out like it was a chase scene.

"Sir," she said urgently, "could you please just pull over ahead? The guy in that car is a friend of mine—there’s just been a misunderstanding, I’ll explain to him."

But the driver, now thoroughly pissed off, flat-out refused.

"No way. Guy thinks he’s God just ’cause of that damn car? I’m not letting him win."

Just then, a gap opened up ahead. The driver gunned the accelerator and squeezed through the opening—

leaving Morrison’s car stuck behind at the red light.

With a satisfied sneer, the driver muttered,

"Let’s see you cut me off now."

The driver then turned to Lilian and asked,

"So what was it you were saying to me earlier?"

Lilian was utterly speechless.

Now that they’d left Morrison in the dust, there was really nothing more to say.

She could only mumble,

"It’s nothing, really. Please just keep driving."

Morrison, meanwhile, had no way of catching up—and truthfully, no time either.

Karl was back home tonight, and there was a family dinner to attend.

He had no choice but to let it go... for now.

Still, he wasn’t about to just let it go.

He made note of the license plate and immediately called Sean.

"Run it down," he ordered. "I want everything."

Back at the Mo residence, Morrison walked in with a face like a thundercloud.

Linda, by contrast, was all sunshine and flowers, practically glowing as she greeted him.

"Well, well—who ruffled your feathers?" she teased.

"Come on, give Mommy a smile."

She came over, reached up, and pinched his cheek with both hands, forcing his lips into a grin.

"Ow—what the hell—" Morrison yelped, practically about to snap.

He was already in a foul mood, and Linda’s antics didn’t help.

Scowling, he stormed off to his room to change.

Linda blinked innocently at his retreating back, then turned with a bright smile as her younger son came down the stairs.

"Sweetheart! You’re awake? Come, come, dinner’s ready!"

Karl bounded over and gave her a big hug, grinning from ear to ear.

"Mom, I love you soooo much."

Fresh from his nap and without his glasses, Karl’s face looked especially boyish—handsome and bright-eyed.

All three men in the Mo family were outrageously good-looking, and Linda felt a surge of maternal pride just looking at them.

Morrison had been groomed since childhood to take over MOS Corp.,

so he was always serious, poised, and mature—almost to a fault.

Karl, on the other hand, was a completely different story.

With an older brother carrying the family legacy and doting parents to cushion everything else,

he’d grown up a little sheltered, more carefree, and far less exposed to the scheming undercurrents of the world.

He reminded Linda of Lilian from Burg Eltz—someone else who’d grown up well-loved and kind-hearted.

That’s exactly why Linda thought the two of them would make a perfect match.

Morrison, however, had no such romantic notions.

"You pair those two together, and it’s just two naive kids fumbling through life," he once said bluntly.

"They’ll get eaten alive."

Linda was fuming.

"How dare you call my son an idiot? What makes you think he’s stupid, huh?

If he were really dumb, would he be doing research?"

Then she scoffed and shot back mercilessly,

"And even if he is a bit slow, well—he takes after you, doesn’t he?"

Her retort hit hard.

Mos was never much of a talker to begin with, certainly no match for Linda’s sharp tongue.

He simply couldn’t win an argument against her.

Still, he was firmly against the idea of pairing Lilian with their younger son.

All he could do was grumble,

"I just don’t think they’re a good match. Time will prove me right."

Sure, maybe the two youngsters seemed fond of each other now—

but give it a little time, and they’d realize how utterly incompatible they really were when it came to daily life.

Dinner went on pleasantly enough, with the whole family at the table—

except for Morrison, who still wore that cold, brooding expression.

Partway through the meal, Morrison’s phone buzzed.

It was Sean.

"We got a name," Sean said. "Had someone pull some strings and look into the car."

He rattled off the details.

When Morrison hung up, he didn’t know whether to laugh or blow a gasket.

"A uber driver?" he muttered.

Of course Morrison knew what a rideshare was—but it hadn’t even crossed his mind.

All he’d seen was Lilian getting into a stranger’s car, and his brain had short-circuited from sheer rage.

He’d even tried to force the car off the road.

That girl...

Always full of surprises.

And always driving him mad.

Over at Tiffany’s house, the evening was warm and cheerful as always.

Dave and Laurent, knowing they would be heading to A.T. soon, were making a point to spend as much time as they could at Tiffany’s place. They joined her for dinner whenever their schedules allowed—and every single time, they made sure to invite Daniel along, claiming it was because they wanted to enjoy more family time before their trip.

Tiffany didn’t object.

Though she still wasn’t exactly warm toward Daniel, she no longer greeted him with a frosty glare or kicked him out like she used to. That alone was progress.

That night, as the family gathered around the dinner table, Tiffany brought up Lilian’s upcoming matchmaking meeting with Karl, scheduled for the weekend. The news was met with unanimous approval.

Everyone liked Karl.

He came from a good family, had a clean, respectable background, a solid career, and a warm, gentle personality. He checked all the boxes—a perfect match for Lilian.

Everyone, that is, except Lilian herself.

She felt nothing but resistance toward the whole thing.

She didn’t want to date, let alone get married. Going on a matchmaking date felt like leading someone on.

But she also didn’t have the courage to confess her true feelings—not when she knew it would disappoint her parents, and Dave would probably scold her until her ears bled.

So she said nothing.

Her plan was simple:

Once she met Karl that day, she’d tell him the truth right away—that she wasn’t looking for a relationship and had no intention of wasting his time.

That way, she figured, it wouldn’t count as stringing him along.

And hopefully, he wouldn’t be into her either.

That would be the best-case scenario for everyone.