too late for a second chance novel (Lila and Dorian)

Lucas Lane was stopped, momentarily taken aback.

"Who are you?" he asked, his gaze drifting through the restaurant's glass door toward the tall figure walking into the private room.

He had been caught in traffic and had worried about being late for their appointment. However, he felt a wave of relief upon seeing Kieran just arriving. Just as he was about to catch up, he was intercepted. Years of upbringing kept Lucas' displeasure from showing, and he waited politely for a response.

"Hello, Mr. Lane. I'm Dorian Blake, an artist under Nexus Entertainment."

"The film project invested by the Lane's Group this year is in collaboration with my team. We had a sudden resignation from one of our leaders, so I wanted to replace him," Dorian quickly explained, not wanting to take up too much of Lucas' time.

He observed Lucas' expression, noting that he seemed unfazed, which led him to believe this matter might be straightforward.

Unexpectedly, Lucas paused for a moment before saying, "Since you've been able to find me, you should know that I haven't been involved with Lane Group's affairs for the past few years. For these collaborations, you should contact my nephew, Vince."

Fearing a misunderstanding, Dorian hurriedly explained, "We did reach out to other leaders at Lane's Group before.

"However, since the employee responsible for signing the contract is the one who resigned, after explaining the situation, the Lane Group's side insisted that the departing employee should still be in charge of the project."

Lucas slightly furrowed his brows, remaining silent as he scrutinized Dorian.

That gaze made Dorian feel somewhat uncomfortable. Over the past two years, he had enjoyed a smooth ride, treated like a VIP by everyone around him.

It had been quite some time since he had faced such a cold reception, yet he had to swallow his pride.

"Mr. Lane-"

"Mr. Blake," Lucas interrupted him with a raised hand. "Normally, changing the person in charge at the last minute is not ideal, but given your situation, it's understandable. That kid, Vince, is someone I trained myself. He would never make things difficult for you without reason."

After a pause, he added, "I haven't been involved with the company for many years, and I can't assist with any collaborations. I'm sorry, but I have other matters to attend to."

Lucas' gaze was deep and direct. He refused to give Dorian another chance to speak as he continued walking forward.

Dorian's expression changed as he realized that Lucas, having navigated the business world for years, was far from the easygoing person he seemed.

He and Ethan hurried to catch up. "Mr. Lane, we've approached Lane's Group many times, but they haven't provided a clear response. They insist that the original departing employee remains in charge.

"We understand that you've said it's inconvenient for you to get involved in company matters. We're just hoping to trouble you by passing a message to Mr. Vince so we can have a chance to discuss this matter properly."

Dorian had considered that Lucas might not offer help, so he planned to settle for having him convey a message to Vince.noveldrama

Lucas' words would likely be interpreted as his stance by those at Lane's Group, making it much easier to replace Lila later.

As Dorian followed him to the restaurant entrance, he continued to explain, "Mr. Lane, Nexus Entertainment has collaborated with Lane Group numerous times in the past, consistently achieving mutual benefit.

"While this current partnership is being initiated under my name, it still relies on Nexus Entertainment's backing. I hope you can give us an opportunity."

Lucas walked straight ahead without glancing aside, but as he reached the door, he paused again.

His gaze was still somewhat scrutinizing. "Mr. Blake, I'll repeat myself. Vince is steady and has managed the company well all these years. I will not intervene in these matters again, so I'm sorry, but I have other things to attend to. Please excuse me."

After saying this, he entered the restaurant. Dorian's respectful expression nearly cracked as he hurried to follow him inside. "Mr. Lane..."

"Sorry, sir," a doorman stepped forward to block him. "You can't enter without a reservation."

As he watched Lucas being led away by the server, the emotions Dorian had been holding back erupted.

"Don't you know who I am?" he shouted, his gaze icy and intimidating toward the doorman.

The doorman was startled by the menacing look and finally recognized his face. "Mr. Blake, the movie star?"

Seeing Dorian's impatience and volatile behavior, Ethan feared someone might see and capture the scene, leading to negative publicity.

He quickly intervened, "Mr. Blake, please calm down. Can we just go back?

"If this doesn't work, we can have Nexus Entertainment's higher-ups step in. We can't have a dispute here. If someone with bad intentions sees this, it could lead to more trouble!"

But Dorian was too worked up to listen to his advice, continuing to glare at the doorman. "You know who I am, so get out of my way!"

The doorman was stunned. Wasn't Dorian known for his grace online?

He pursed his lips, his attitude still firm. "I'm sorry, Mr. Blake, but we have rules. No reservation, no entry."

Dorian clenched his fists, causing the doorman's face to pale as he stepped back.

Ethan held Dorian back tightly, apologizing while trying to pull him aside. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. He's just in a bit of a bad mood today. Please don't take it personally."