章節 240: Swayed thoughts and Resolute plan

Having lived many years in separation from family and love, Giselle never gave up. Her passion for Lillian never died and only got firmly stronger. She resisted to welcome or entertain any new attachments. Even when she got involved with Ethan Ruz from college, and gave birth to Lia, she stood obstinate and held onto her only love.

Other than Lillian Grey, Giselle never allowed anyone to make her feel such. However, right now, she has a lot going on in her life. She has a child now under her care and that the distance grew between them. Even if Giselle still loves Lillian and only wished to be with her, there is no guarantee of what happened these years of separation. If she recalled, Diego made a threat, and so, it could only mean that Diego and Lillian probably worked things out. Also, they never dated or even confessed love to each other. All Giselle knew is that Lillian got messed up with Giselle's presence in her life, and it is not healthy for Lillian Grey. All of these little doubts worried Giselle.

Shaken by Shane after being unresponsive for a while, Giselle flickered to notice a sudden outburst of sounds coming at her ears at once.

She heard the clattering of utensils, pouring liquids, aromas, little murmurs of people chattering, and above all, the man in front of her, his stewed silence also caught by Giselle. She supported herself by leaning against the rock vintage chair.

"Are you alright?" Shane asked, still panicking as he saw the woman trembling slightly.

Giselle nodded to assure and drank water to calm down.

"Look, Giselle, I know it is all sudden to intake, but I want you to meet Lillian," Shane tried to open his plans.

"No-"

Shane found Giselle's resolute denial to his opening act, an unexpected move. He feared a little inside.

"What do you mean by- You haven't heard me enough, Giselle!" Shane said.

"No, I mean, no, to whatever you are trying to imply here," Giselle firmly responds to his trauma.

The reason behind her firm reply was Lia.

Diego was the reason for Giselle to leave Lillian. He threatened her with her life. Having returned after years, Giselle felt lucky to have not encountered that dangerous soul. She was glad to meet Anna from high school and much surprised to encounter Lillian at an unexpected time. However, she hasn't met Diego yet, and it bothers her every minute, at the back of her mind.

If not, even more than before because right now, she holds responsibility not alone for herself but to her child as well. If anything were to happen to Lia, Giselle needs to answer Ethan. More than as a responsibility, Giselle, as a mother, wanted no one to touch their child or hurt her. It made Giselle falter with the choices she needs to make.

She could keep cherishing the memories to consent her love, but her child's life is now the reason for her to wake up every day and work harder.

"So, are you telling me that you don't care for Lillian anymore?" Shane asked.

Giselle got stunned from his direct hit and refused to answer. Of course, she cares for Lillian, but that doesn't mean she is ready to put her child's safety on the line for love. Her love can stay sincere to her heart, till her last breath, but any damage to her child in the name of her affection, Giselle will never forgive herself. It would be the guilt she takes it to her grave.

"Answer me, Giselle? Are you that inhume to not care for the person you cherish?" Shane repeated.

"I am not obliged to give my personal opinion on that. Whether I care for Lillian or not, it is up to me."

Her stern reply only angered Shane.

"So, until then, you both are planning to run away like this and cause a whole wreck to others involved, am I right?" Shane questioned.

"Others involved? Who's involved?"

"Believe it or not, with the two of you refuse to confront, it only makes it worse for others. Even more to yourselves, which you two are profoundly ignoring to my shock."

His explanation worried Giselle. Fact or not, their relationship indeed resulted in a lot of mishaps like Giselle has to leave her parents and live for years, miles away.

Meanwhile, Lillian-

Giselle never knew what happened with Lillian Grey, and it made her depressed.

'What am I doing?' - she thought.

After years, returned as a proper adult, Giselle thought she is not acting like one. If Diego is threatening, there are numerous ways to handle, but solely based on that, Giselle is refusing to meet Lillian Grey.

"What are you doing? I guess that's what you are thinking right now," Shane guessed to Giselle's astonishment.

"Giselle, I am not here to tell you and Lillian to become lovers. It is not my right, but I can expect you two can face yourselves like grown-ups and resort whatever issues there lay. I don't want Lillian, whom I've known for quite a while and Giselle, who is new, but to me, you are just as much I'm associated with Lilly, I want both of you to find yourselves again without running away. Stop it," Shane pleaded sincerely.

Shane saw that Giselle getting influenced under his care. He noticed the slight pass of light on Giselle's eyes as if someone is finally guiding her in life. Also, he was able to recognize the difference because Giselle appeared to be on her own struggle when she directly rejected his words initially. But, now, there was a relieved silence assist in her drifting gaze.

Shane thanked for things to magically turn out the way he wished for and spiced a little more to draw in the listener's attention entirely.

Giselle strived, thinking that his words were cutting the edges of the parameter she created. Little by little, the walls are getting destroyed, for Giselle did consider to resolve this never-ending awkward unexplained subject.

If Giselle were to stay here at home forever, then she needs to come in face terms with herself and Lillian Grey. She can't keep running forever, now that she has another life under her care.

After pondering in deep to respect his words and connect it with her conscience, Giselle exhaled resolutely.

"I will try to meet with Lilly, but not now, maybe sometime in the future. Right now, I want to focus on my job and Lia's school. I cannot. It's too much," Giselle looked up as she said.

It is not easy to simply convey and resolve the years of divorce with one meeting. A lot has happened over the period. Knowing Lillian Grey, Giselle understood that it would be an arduous undertaking.

"Actually, Giselle, I forgot to share another important piece of information," Shane facetiously interrupted.

Giselle appeared dubious to his acknowledging of other secrete information.

Shane chuckled playfully.

"You see, Lillian Grey is not only our mutual acquaintance, but she is one of my top best-selling writers that goes by her pen-name GILL."

Shane's big reveal caused a stir to Giselle's reconciliation.

She learned the pen name, and it made her eyes go wide beyond just receiving the shocking news.

Gill is one of the authors Giselle enjoyed and knew for the work and its accomplishments. She even dreamed of meeting the writer while working in this industry.

Who knew that Gill turned out to be Lillian Grey?

"Lillian is Gill?" Giselle cried.

"Well, now you can understand me recruiting you under my wing. Lillian Grey is one of Keyline's best writers. You should be aware of Gill from Wallace's session."

"That day when you two encountered accidentally, that very same day, Lillian ran away from her home," Shane revealed.

Giselle felt that it was a lot of information for someone who just decided to make things right by taking the first step.

"Giselle, I've tried many ways to bring back Lillian, but she is refusing my benefit to her adamant.

"Where did she run away to?" Giselle inquired amidst the new chaos.

"To Charleston, South Carolina, at her father, Edwin's place."

"Can't you ask her father to help? I'm sure he is more of a family to Lilly than myself."

"He tried, and Lillian threatened to leave him as well if he starts to keep trying to play my messenger. Plus, if she leaves Edwin, then we won't catch her at all," Shane explained the depth of the current problem to his guest.

"Mr. Ricardo, I think you are overestimating my presence. Maybe, Lillian cared for me in the past, but I have no hope or faith to encourage such past events still existing. Look at me, do you think that Lillian would be glad to see me with a child? You are assuming that I hold such great power to bring her back. I don't, because I left without a word, and what do you think that Lillian would do if I meet her?"

The more Giselle tried to sound adverse, the stronger that Shane believed in his plan.

"Giselle, stop," he ordered the rambling woman.

"Trust me, she is a beast, but Lillian is only longing to meet you for such a long time. As a friend, I can vouch for that, and that is why this would not be a request anymore."

Giselle wondered from his statement.

"Giselle, I, as your superior at work, am ordering you to go fetch Lillian Grey, our writer. I will provide you with the tickets and the address of her stay. You will leave by tomorrow morning and take all the time you need. Don't worry, I informed her father already, and he is expecting your arrival. Also, he will be there to take care if any extremity were to arise from your meeting. What else?"

"Wait, Shane, you can't do that."

"I sure can do it," Shane gloated with a smile.

"I have Lia to take care of- I can't abandon her just like that."

"You do have a choice where Lia can stay at your parent's place this weekend, which I'm sure the little one would be happy to agree, or you can take Lia with you to Edwin's place."

"Taking Lia to Lillian, are you crazy?"

"Listen, Giselle, someday, Lillian is going to meet the child, so why not sooner? Who knows that Lia can help you too. All I'm saying is that you are our only hope in bringing back Lillian Grey," Shane implied.

Defenseless, Giselle, in the end, again fell into the trap of convincing performed skillfully by Shane Ricardo. She couldn't do anything within her power to exclude herself from getting engaged. She agreed while still debating whether to take her child, Lia, along with her or not.

Shane informed Giselle to report back soon with an answer of how many heads to Charleston so that he can book first-calls tickets with a content smile.