After the short meeting, Ethan grappled with an unfamiliar sense of unease as he retreated to his room. The image of Lily's disappointed expression replayed in his mind, a silent reminder of an emotion he was hesitant to confront.

Lily, on the other hand, was as uncomfortable as Ethan. The thought of working with Ethan on a project and going to school with him is already stressing her. The doubt that Bruce might know why Ethan hated her, and her mom didn't help either.

"I must know the truth before anything else," Lily murmured.

Lily thought if she could fix the tension between her and Ethan, going to school and doing a project together would be easier. She will never give up on solving the case between her and Ethan, just like Bruce Grant's untiring support in helping her get back on her feet.

The next day, as Lily was about to knock on the library door where Bruce was, she heard a familiar voice. An angry voice of two men who seem to be arguing. She couldn't help but press her ear close to the door to listen.

"I've told you all over again. There was nothing between us," Bruce growled. "Drop this issue before Lily would know. She had enough suffering in the hands of Vanessa and Maddy," Bruce said with a hint of concern.

Lily's eyes widened. Her heart melts hearing Bruce Grant's concern, but she doesn't like to be the constant source of the argument between son and father. "Are they arguing about me again?" She whispered.

"You are more concerned about her than your son's well-being. I'm so sick of you," Ethan said sternly.

"Ethan," Bruce growled once more.

Ethan disregarded his Dad's anger and continued. "I feel disgusted every time I remember meeting Leila for the first time. Dad, you have been cheating mom for years while she was on her deathbed. Mom never loved any other man besides you. You lost my respect the day I found out about your secret affair with Leila."

Lily gasped as she covered her mouth. "Mom? No...mom will never..."

"Lily is your mistress's daughter, and you care more about her than I am," Ethan said in disdain.

Caught off guard by Ethan's revelation, Lily struggled to process the weight of his words. She felt an unexpected surge of emotions, shock, confusion, and a tinge of anger. The revelation echoed in her mind, the term "mistress's daughter" resonating like an unwelcome refrain.

Ethan, emerging from the library, noticed Lily standing nearby. His expression was a blend of defiance and resentment, challenging her to respond. Torn between the desire to confront him and the need for composure, Lily managed to ask with a controlled tone, "What do you mean, Ethan?"

Ethan, his gaze fixed on Lily, seemed unapologetic. "Your mom, Leila, was my father's mistress," he declared coldly.

"Ethan..." angry Bruce could be heard inside the library. He tried to stop Ethan, but it was too late. Neither Ethan nor Lily listen to him.

Lily's eyes widened further, the shock evident on her face. She tried to process the revelation, her mind racing to reconcile the image of her mother with this newfound truth. Ethan's accusation weighed on her, leaving her grappling with a reality she hadn't anticipated.

"What are you saying?" Lily questioned, her voice tinged with disbelief. "My mom would never—"

Ethan interrupted, his tone unyielding. "Your mom, Leila, was with my father before she married your Dad. I don't know when it started, but your mom was my Dad's mistress. And now you're here, living in our mansion, and it makes me sick."

The words hung in the air, leaving an uncomfortable silence between them. Lily's mind raced to comprehend the implications of this revelation, grappling with the newfound complexities in her relationship with Bruce Grant and Ethan. As they stood there, a tangled web of emotions and secrets unraveled.

Bruce appeared behind Ethan, "Lily, let me explain," he said softly, like trying to coax a child.

Lily was at a loss for words, but she was able to gain her strength and walk away. She went to her room and locked the door behind her.

Ethan stood with a heavy heart outside the library, watching Lily walk out. He hadn't anticipated the depth of Lily's shock, and a pang of guilt tugged at him. He regretted not softening the blow, realizing he might have irreparably shattered Lily's perception of her mother.

"Look what you've done," Bruce said sternly. "We will talk about this when Kurt comes home. YOu know nothing about Leila."

Ethan barely looked at his Dad. "Dad knew that Kurt was coming home? I thought I was the only one who knew when he called me. What does Kurt know about this?"

Whatever Kurt knew, Ethan still felt he went overboard with his words towards Lily. He was convinced Lily knew nothing about Leila and his Dad's secret affair. Unable to bear the weight of his conscience, Ethan hesitated before turning to leave and went to his room.

In her room, Lily grappled with the conflicting emotions surging within her. Ethan's revelation weighed heavily on her, challenging the image of her mother that she had held dear. Doubt and uncertainty gnawed at Lily's mind, threatening to unravel the foundation of trust she had in her mother.

"No, I trust Mom more than anybody else," she said firmly. Tears flowed down her cheeks, and her eyes were swollen.

Lily wrestled with conflicting thoughts. Part of her wanted to confront Ethan, to demand more answers and clarification. Another part sought refuge in her unwavering trust in her mother. The room felt suffocating, and Lily needed air to clear her thoughts. But before she could decide, a knock came at her door.

"Lily, can we talk?" Bruce asked. He couldn't let Lily overthink about the situation.

Opening the door, Lily faced Bruce, her eyes revealing mixed emotions. "What more is there to say?" she questioned, her voice a fragile whisper. "Uncle Bruce, is it..."

"No," Bruce answered before Lily could finish her question. He took Lily into his arms and hugged her. "I am more than a friend to your mother once, but she was never my mistress. Let's talk inside."

Bruce shut the door behind her and followed Lily to the sofa in her room. They sat opposite each other as Bruce began to tell his story.

"Your mom and I used to be in a relationship before your Dad came into the picture. At first, our parents approved our relationship until Grant Enterprises was on the brink of bankruptcy. Your grandparents immediately took it into their hands to find the right husband for your mom."

Lily's eyes widened to the sudden realization. She could almost see where the story was going and practically perceived her mom and Bruce's hardship. Back then, her grandparents were only up for the influence and reputation to remain on top of the business game. Her heart wrenched for her mom and Bruce.

"Leila and Anthony's parents came with the deal, and I couldn't do anything about it since it had been decided by both influential families by then. I could only watch Leila build a family with Anthony, but I will never forget my promise of protecting her whenever she needed me."

"By the time I regained the influence and power of Grant Enterprises, I married Maurine. I focused on business and building my family until I heard the relationship between your mom and your Dad began to crumble. I had to lend a helping hand as Leila's friend and keep my promise of protecting her even though we didn't end up as husband and wife."

"You were little when we started reconnecting, but with my wife's knowledge. Maurine knew about the mistreatment of Anthony towards your mom. Maurine even thinks it was a big mistake to let Leila step down from business and stay home as Leila was a good businesswoman."

Lily realized this when his Dad was indifferent to them, which was disheartening. She heard many rumors as a kid, but her mom never talked badly about her Dad. Her mom always wants her to picture his Dad as a good father. Lily's heart wrenched, thinking how much her mom had endured pain for her sake.

"Thank you so much for sharing the truth, Uncle Bruce. This cleared all my thoughts for the days I stayed here. I don't want Mom and me to be the cause of an argument between you and Ethan."

A smile crept on Bruce's lips as he noticed Lily was relieved to know the truth. "I want to apologize on behalf of Ethan. He doesn't know about my friendship with your mom and has prejudged me. All the while, he had been spying on me like I was a criminal instead of asking whatever he wanted to know. Especially when Maurine was already on her deathbed and continued to help your mom with her medicine."

"I know Uncle Bruce. I was with Mom a few times during the meet-up with you. Thank you for all your help," Lily said gratefully. Tears formed in her eyes, reminded by the time her mom had nothing to support her medication; Bruce offered financial help.

"It was a help for a friend," Bruce smiled that never reached her eyes.

"But don't worry, there is someone who will prove everything of Ethan's doubts was wrong. I need you to be patient, Lily. This will end soon when that man comes home."

Lily nodded, trusting Bruce could solve the problem, but didn't ask about the man's identity. She's confident Bruce would deliver. From that assurance, Lily relaxed a bit.

Seeing that Lily understood him, Bruce turned to remind her about the school year nearly coming. "By the way, Benny will be your driver to school. You and Ethan will go to school together."

Lily was reminded to go to school with Ethan when she thought everything was alright, which seemed a problem. Since Bruce has yet to fix the misunderstanding between her and Ethan, she must endure Ethan's cold gaze and behavior toward her.