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

Lila sensed the subtle shift in Kieran's mood. She blinked in surprise before smiling gently. "Why would you ask me that, Kieran?"

In her last relationship, she had given her all and had always been the one chasing and sacrificing. But with Kieran, the roles had reversed—she was the one being taken care of.

Looking back, nearly a year had passed, and so much had happened. But

through it all, Kieran had treated her well. Maybe that was why she had recovered so quickly.

Lila tightened her grip on his hand, walking with a light step down the mountain. "You're a really great guy, Kieran. And I'm really happy with you."

Without saying a word, he looked at her profile. His grip on her hand tightened slightly, but he didn't ask the question lingering in his mind. "How much longer do I have to wait for our wedding?"

By the time they reached the base of the mountain, the group split up and went their separate ways.

The following days, Lila didn't have much to do. She spent her time at the Morgan residence, keeping Nicole company, but she still returned to Vermilion Estate to sleep at night.

Kieran, on the other hand, was swamped with work. For several nights in a row, by the time he got home, Lila was already fast asleep. In her sleep, she would vaguely feel his arms around her, but by morning, he was already gone.

Something felt... off. Ever since they had returned from the hike, things hadn't felt right. And it was starting to mess with her head.

So, she sent Amelia a text message. "Hey, is there some weird legend about that mountain we hiked?"

Amelia: "Like what?"

Lila: "I don't know... something about relationships or fate?"

Amelia: "No, there's no such thing."

A few moments later, she followed up with another message. "Why? Did you and Uncle Kieran have a disagreement?"

Lila: "No, nothing like that. It's just... ever since we got back, he's been acting kind of distant. Like he's avoiding me or something."

Amelia: "Maybe he's just feeling his age. Post-hike fatigue, you know? Maybe he's worried he won't have the energy to satisfy you."

Lila nearly choked on her water. After staring at the message for a few seconds, struggling to come up with a reply, she gave up and pretended she never saw it.

Unfortunately, Amelia wasn't done.

Amelia: "Why aren't you replying?"

Amelia: "Come on, don't pretend you didn't see it. I know you did. Why don't you just get him some supplements?"

Amelia: "He's almost 30! You gotta take care of him so he can still be useful."

Before she could continue with her nonsense, Lila hastily replied, "I'll talk to you later. I'm busy right now."

Lila had Cindy prepare lunch and headed to Morgan Group, planning to bring Kieran food and figure out what was going on. When she arrived, the receptionist seemed surprised to see her there. "What brings you here, Madam?"noveldrama

"Is Kieran not in?" Lila asked.

"Mr. Morgan left on a business trip this morning. You... didn't know?"

Lila truly did not know that. But instead of showing her surprise, she played it off smoothly. "Oh, right... think he mentioned it a few days ago must ve slipped my mind Thanks for letting me know. With that, she turned and walked out,

carrying the lunch she had brought with her.

The receptionist watched Lila leave, confusion clear on her face. A few days ago That didn't sound right. From what she had heard, Kieran's trip had been a last-minute

decision be had left becauer

was a problem with a project in Portmere.

the

All of a sudden, her eyes widened. Lately, there had been rumors-both within the company and beyond-about Kieran and Faith. Could they be true? Otherwise, why wouldn't Lila know about Kieran's schedule?

Besides, it wasn't just Kieran and

Cole who had gone on this trip. Faith had gone with them. With that thought in mind, the receptionist wasted no time rushing off rushing off to spill

the tea to her coworkers. In no time, half the office was buzzing with speculation about Kieran's marriage falling apart.