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

Lila got up and walked down the nearby corridor.

"Didn't I buy you the bag you wanted? Why do you still look unhappy?"

The familiar voice made her pause for a moment.

"The company still isn't giving me any assignments. If this goes on, my career might really be over."

She instantly recognized the whiny, affected tone even without seeing the person. Just by hearing the first two words, she already knew it was Zara.

A trace of mockery flashed in her eyes as she turned the corner and kept walking.

She saw Zara crying into Dorian's arms, her head buried in his chest. He gently patted her back, his expression full of tenderness. On his left wrist was the sandalwood bracelet he proudly claimed to be a symbol of deep affection, something he had prayed for and carved.

Upon sensing someone approaching, he looked up, meeting Lila's gaze. He quickly pulled Zara away from him, his movements abrupt.

As if caught doing something wrong, his first reaction was to get angry. He glared

at Lila and asked, "Lila, are you following me?"

Lila raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

A short laugh escaped her lips, unable to suppress the irony of the situation.

He frowned, clearly irritated by her cold and indifferent demeanor.noveldrama

Her eyes flicked past him toward the restroom ahead, and her lips curled into a lazy smile. "I didn't realize the restrooms on set were now exclusively reserved for you, Mr. Blake."

He followed her gaze, his expression unreadable.

Her gaze shifted back, and she noticed for the first time that he was wearing a casual top she had never seen him wear before. It was something she had bought for him shortly before their breakup.

Lila had always liked it when he dressed more casually. It reminded her of the early years of their relationship when things were simpler.

Although the warmth in his eyes was long gone, the relaxed outfits made him appear less rigid to the point that he even seemed approachable. Unfortunately, Dorian had rarely worn this style over the past two years.

Her gaze involuntarily lingered on the sandalwood bracelet on his left wrist. Sandalwood... What an ironic symbol.

Zara bit her lip, putting on an aggrieved expression as if Lila had just bullied her. "Lila, please don't—"

"Don't misunderstand, right?" Lila said, casually rubbing her ear as if tired of hearing the same line repeatedly.

"Before we talk about misunderstandings, isn't it odd for someone who's not close to me to address me like that? What is it? Do you like pretending to be young? If so, why not revise your ID to show a younger age?"

Lila chuckled lightly. "Don't worry. It's common in this industry. And I wouldn't bother exposing you. I'm not that bored."

Her words, which were light and playful on the surface, hit Zara hard. Her eyes turned redder than before and began to fill with tears.

"Lila!" Dorian snapped, clearly annoyed by her sharp tongue.

She was always relentless and unyielding, like a mad dog snapping at anyone in her path. Her smile remained faint, detached. "Is there anything you need, Mr. Blake?"

He had heard her call him like that many times before-playfully, teasingly, even with mock seriousness-but never like this.

When she confronted him about the bracelet and demanded a breakup, he dismissed her as unreasonable, but now, this calm, composed, and distantly polite way of addressing him as "Mr. Blake" unsettled him even more.