The Puppet of His Will

Chapter3

Lily Harris wasn't surprised when she learned that Jane Pierce, one of her students, was applying for a leave of absence. The girl had been frequently ill, missing classes and tests. Most recently, she even missed her final exams before the summer break. Cautious by nature, Lily felt the need to verify the situation herself.

As she rummaged through her desk drawer for the student contact list, Alexander Pierce reached out from across the table, offering his phone. "I have her number right here, Ms Harris. You can use this."

Lily hesitated for a moment before taking his phone. She glanced briefly at his hand. It was clean, with long, slender fingers, the kind one might expect from a scholar. Her unease lessened a bit. She dialed the number and waited, listening to the ringing tone.

After a short wait, Jane picked up. Her explanation mirrored Alexander's, though she sounded slightly nervous, her voice tight.

She asked a few polite questions about Jane's health, offered some reassuring words, and then ended the call. When she looked up, Alexander was still watching her with a faint smile that unsettled her. His face continued to fill her with dread, but she maintained her composure, handing back his phone. "Mr. Pierce, please follow me to the department office to collect the application form."

She guided him to the office, explaining what documents were required: a medical diagnosis and a recommendation for leave, along with Jane's signature on the form. "Once you have everything, bring it back to me, and I'll help you submit it to the administration," she added.

Alexander nodded but then asked, "Ms Harris, could I have your mobile number?"

Lily paused before answering, "You can reach me at the office phone."

Alexander chuckled softly and didn't push further.

Out of courtesy, she walked him to the office door. As they were about to part ways, he suddenly asked, "Pardon me for asking, but do I look like someone you know?"

His question caught her off guard, and before she could respond, he pressed on, "You're afraid of this person, aren't you? Did he hurt you?"

Lily, normally calm and composed, felt a surge of irritation. She almost wanted to snap back at him, but her better judgment prevailed. Instead, she raised her eyebrows and feigned ignorance. "Sorry, what did you say?"

Alexander smiled, extending his hand toward her. "I was saying goodbye, Ms Harris."

Her instincts still warned her against him, so she only briefly touched his hand before pulling hers away. "Bye."

He smiled once more and said nothing, turning to leave.

That afternoon, Lily remained unsettled. William called her several times to check on her, and near the end of the day, he even came to pick her up from work. His presence and affection chased away much of her earlier anxiety. As she got into the car, she couldn't help but tease him, "What about my car?"

"Leave it at the school," William replied.

"And how am I supposed to get to work tomorrow?" she asked playfully.

He mimicked her tone, "I'll take you to work tomorrow."

They both laughed, and after a brief moment of silence, she suddenly blurted out, "Will, I want to get my PhD."

With only a master's degree, she would need a PhD to become a university lecturer.

William was always supportive of her decisions. "Of course! Which school do you want to attend? Do you need me to help you find a supervisor?"

Lily shook her head. "I'll just return to my alma mater and continue with my previous supervisor."

Once she made up her mind, she called her professor the next day to ask for advice. Her professor was thrilled and encouraged her to apply for the spring entrance exams. With the application period starting in October and it now being September, she suddenly had a mountain of paperwork to prepare. Overwhelmed, she enlisted William's help.

One evening, as they were sorting through her documents, William, with a serious look on his face, said, "Lily, let's try harder to have a baby. That way, when you take the exam next year, you can bring our little one with you—it'll be like prenatal education!"

She blinked at him, surprised by the idea, but after a moment, she realized it wasn't a bad one. Enthusiastically, they abandoned their paperwork and climbed into bed.

A week later, she received a phone call while she was at her alma mater working on her PhD application. The caller ID showed an unknown number. Thinking it might be a student, she quickly answered.

"Hello, Ms Harris."

The voice on the other end was low and smooth, carrying a rare coolness amidst the summer heat. Lily's scalp tingled, her voice stiffening instinctively. "Hello, Mr. Pierce."

"You recognize my voice," Alexander remarked.

Lily had no desire for small talk and got straight to the point. "Mr. Pierce, when can you submit Jane's documents? The school requires the leave of absence application within the first two weeks of the semester."

"I just left your office, Ms Harris. Your colleagues didn't know when you'd be back, so I had to call you directly. I got your number from Jane," he explained.

As a student advisor, Lily was supposed to be in the office during work hours, but she often stepped out for personal errands without official permission. The school didn't enforce the rules too strictly. She tried to reason with him, "I'm sorry, I'm not on campus right now. Could you please leave the documents at my office?"

"That won't do," he refused bluntly.

Lily was taken aback.

"I'm leaving for a business trip tomorrow and won't be back in Serenwood for a while. Ms. Harris, could you come back to campus now? I'm waiting."

His tone was brusque, almost demanding. Though she disliked the confrontation, Lily knew she wasn't in the right, having left the office without notice. After some thought, she replied, "Alright, give me half an hour. I'll be there soon."

She hurried back to campus, arriving exactly thirty minutes later. As soon as she parked behind the department building, a burly man in a black suit stepped out of a nearby car, holding the door open as he called out, "Mr. Pierce is waiting for you."

The car was clearly expensive, and with the suited man resembling a bodyguard, the whole scene seemed out of place for a typical parent-teacher meeting. Hesitant, Lily approached. The rear window of the black sedan rolled down, revealing Alexander Pierce's impeccably handsome face. He nodded at her, "Ms. Harris, right on time."

Lily cautiously observed Asher, noting that while he resembled the man who had traumatized her, there were distinct differences. His features were sharper and more refined, and his demeanor radiated a calmness that bespoke a privileged upbringing—nothing like the cold and menacing aura of the other man.

"I'm sorry for calling you back. I'm leaving for a business trip abroad tomorrow and won't be able to return for 3 weeks. I wanted to finalize Jane's paperwork today." Alexander gestured toward his assistant, who handed Lily a folder. "Please check if everything is in order."

Lily went through the documents and confirmed, "You'll need to come with me to get a signature from the dean."

Alexander nodded, and his assistant hurried to open the car door for him. It was then that Lily noticed how impeccably dressed he was—his tailored suit and poised demeanor could easily grace the cover of a business magazine. Sensing her scrutiny, Alexander offered an explanation, "I just came from a meeting."

As they walked toward the dean's office, Alexander initiated small talk. "You look very young, Ms. Harris. Are you fresh out of college?"

At 27, Lily had already been working as a student advisor for over four years. Though she had little interest in chit-chatting, she politely smiled, "No, I'm not."

She quickened her pace, trying to maintain distance, only to realize that Alexander had lagged behind. Surprised, she glanced back and saw him standing at the base of the stairs, gazing up at her calmly. "Ms. Harris, I'm not in that much of a rush," he remarked.

Lily felt a bit awkward, realizing her hasty actions were a reflection of her unease. Despite knowing Alexander was not the man from her past, her anxiety around him was undeniable. She forced herself to calm down, waiting for him as he ascended the stairs at a leisurely pace.

When he reached her, he commented, "I'm genuinely curious—why are you so afraid of me?"

"You misunderstood," she replied, avoiding eye contact. "I just have some errands to run, so I was in a hurry."

He acknowledged her response with a slight nod. "I see. Apologies for pulling you away from your other tasks."

She smiled weakly, "It's fine. It's my job."

The process went smoothly—Alexander had all the required documents, and the dean was available to sign off on them. As they left the office, Alexander's car was already waiting outside. He turned to her and asked, "Is the administration office far? Should we take the car to save time?"

The office was indeed a distance away, but Lily didn't want to walk alongside him, let alone share a car. She thought quickly and suggested, "Why don't you drive ahead? Follow this road straight, and after two intersections, turn left—you'll see the administrative building. I'll meet you there, I need to get my own car."

Alexander agreed, and by the time Lily arrived at the administrative office, he was already waiting outside, drawing the attention of many students. She hurried over and greeted him, "Let's go, Mr. Pierce."

Inside, the young female staff member helping them couldn't take her eyes off Alexander. When the formalities were nearly complete, she pulled Lily aside and whispered excitedly, "Who is he? He's so handsome!"

Alexander seemed to notice their exchange and shot a quick glance their way, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. The young staffer was enthralled, tugging at Lily's arm. "Do you have his number? "

Lily found the situation amusing but also understood the etiquette. She had Alexander's number, but sharing it without his consent didn't feel right.

Her colleague, persistent, playfully pleaded, "Come on, you're married! At least let us single girls have a shot!"

Smiling, Lily responded, "He's a student's relative, not someone I know well. You should ask him yourself."

Suddenly, she had an idea. "Actually, why don't you ask him for his contact details under the pretense of following up on the paperwork? That way, when the application gets approved, you can call him to pick it up. The rest is up to you!"

Her colleague hesitated. "Are you sure that's okay?"

Lily nudged her playfully. "Of course! Just think of it as helping me with my job."

Meanwhile, Alexander had completed the necessary steps and was heading back towards them. Lily's colleague cleared her throat, asking, "Could we get the contact information for the person handling this application?"

Alexander smiled and wrote down his number, handing it over.