My Substitute Wife Is a Bigwig (Lily Brooks and Loid Laurier)
Chapter 249

Lily's hand froze. She lowered her head and pursed her lips.

After a long moment, she looked up with a determined gaze. "I can save you. I will save you!"

Belinda pulled her close and patted her hand with a faint smile. "I've always known this day would come. I can never escape it."

She glanced out the window. The night was cold and dark, but Lily's presence brought warmth. Pointing to a nearby chair, she said softly, "Sit down. I have some things to tell you."

After a moment's silence, Lily sat down.

"Lily, don't grieve for me, and don't seek revenge. Finish your studies and live a good life." Belinda sighed. "I know you often don't obey my words, just like when you promised not to search for your father but secretly did so for years."

Lily kept her head down without saying a word.

"I never told you about the past because I didn't want you involved. They won't spare us, and your father is proof of that." Belinda squeezed Lily's hand.

"I should've died over 40 years ago. I only lived this long for your sake. Now, with Loid by your side, I can rest easy. Please, don't dig into the past or look for your father anymore. Pretend we never existed."

Lily exhaled slowly and looked up slightly. She questioned in a calm voice, "Do you think that by not telling me, I won't replace out? You've spent your whole life avoiding and enduring them, but did it protect Dad or me?"

"What?" Belinda looked at her in shock. "How did you replace out?"

"When I was ten, some people came looking for you. You made an excuse to send me away, but I stayed and heard everything." Lily stood up. "They took Dad, didn't they? What exactly is the Bloodstone Emerald that they wanted you to hand over? Why would you rather die than give it to them?"

"-"

Belinda tried to speak, but Lily cut her off, "You knew this would happen. From the day I went to Bridgeport, you knew this was the endgame. Who were the families that did this to you?"

Belinda's face fell. "Stop making wild guesses. Just stay out of this."

"The Lauriers are involved," Lily said coldly, interrupting her again.

Belinda panicked. "This has nothing to do with Loid. Don't blame him. He's been kind to me and to you. Now that you're already with him, don't let this affect your relationship." Lily smiled. "I've never misunderstood him."

Belinda sighed in relief. "That's good. I... Cough, cough..."

Belinda's breathing suddenly became labored. Seeing this, Lily's expression turned dark. She quickly tried to give Belinda a pill, but Belinda grabbed her wrist.

"There's something hidden in the statue of Lumina at home. Take it and keep it safe. If you can't keep it, destroy it. Never let it fall into the hands of the Hidden Families. Also..." Belinda's condition worsened, and her breathing became erratic. "There's a box under my bed with information about your father. I... know I can't stop you. The future is in your hands." With those words, Belinda's eyes slowly closed, and her arm fell limp.

Lily stood there, staring at Belinda expressionlessly. Not a single tear fell from her eye.

After a long while, she found a white cloth and gently covered Belinda with it.

She let out a bitter laugh. "Death is a release for you, isn't it?"

Suddenly, her smile vanished. "But no one has the right to take your life from me!"

Lily turned and opened the door to the operating room.

Loid saw her emerge and glanced at the room. The sight of the white cloth hit him hard. He wanted to comfort Lily but didn't know how.

Lily put on her baseball cap and looked at Daniel, who had just returned after taking Poppy away.

"Daniel, please make arrangements for my grandmother's funeral." Her voice was soft but firm, with no trace of emotion.

Daniel's and Shaun's faces fell. They wanted to say something but couldn't replace the words.

After a moment, Daniel took a deep breath. "Alright."

"Thank you."

Smiling, Lily then turned to Loid. "Mr. Laurier, mind lending me your influence?"