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

Kieran gazed at Lila, his eyes deep and unreadable. Her gaze flickered noticeably.

He thought he would not force her if she rejected him again. If she couldn't take that step, he would remove all the risks for her.

She bit her lip and lowered her gaze, staring at the partially eaten, perfectly round fried egg on her plate. Then, she took a deep breath as if gathering all her resolve and let out a muffled reply from deep within her chest. "Alright. I'll go with you."

Avoidance was never her style.

Kieran's fingers unconsciously tapped the tabletop, and for the first time, he was uncertain about his feelings. Was it good or bad to force her to confront those unpleasant memories? The usually strategic man found himself at a loss.

She silently finished her meal, then declined his offer to send her back to the Morgan residence.

"I'll go back on my own. I'll stay there for the next few days." She paused, forcing a smile. "I'll return Saturday afternoon and wait for you at Evergreen Heights."

After that, she picked up the car keys and left without waiting for Kieran's response. Once she was back at the Morgan residence, she took a moment to adjust her emotions before going in to spend time with the elders.

During her days there, Lila chatted with the elders, which helped her temporarily forget the troubling matters. But at night, the issues surged like a tidal wave, slowly drowning her heart.

What should she do if she bumped into Pierre again? How could she get rid of him if he was still persistent?

Meanwhile, at Shannon's residence, with the wedding between Kieran and Lila approaching, Shannon's sleep quality worsened by the day.

He had completely stopped seeing her. Even with the two families cooperating, he didn't get involved and left everything to Cole.noveldrama

As for Lila, he had even secretly assigned someone to protect her. Shannon had

tried to get close a few times, but each time, someone got in her way.

Michael must have gotten the news from somewhere and came to advise her to let go. Why should she let go of Kieran? She had loved him for so many years; why should she just give up?

She had just pushed Michael out when someone rang the doorbell. Shannon thought it was him, coming back to try again.

She coldly stared at the door, but when she saw the person on the other side, her reprimand was caught in her throat.

Pierre was half-smiling. "Shannon, I heard you've been having some trouble lately. I came to offer my help."

He narrowed his eyes slightly, concealing the darkness in them.

She also narrowed her eyes, her gaze cold and her voice equally icy. "No thanks. Mind your own business."

The Locke family was large and had complicated relationships. There were probably seven or eight people among the younger generation. For a big family, having a couple of wastrels was nothing out of the ordinary, but Pierre was not a fool.

On the contrary, he was very clever and calculating, which earned him Martin's favor. Martin even seemed to be grooming him as a potential heir.

The Locke family was aware of his womanizing, but in their circle, having two women was nothing unusual. Martin's only rule was to avoid illegitimate children.

Pierre wasn't angry about the rejection. To those who didn't understand him, he seemed to have a very good temper.

"Shannon, don't be so quick to refuse," he said politely. "It's my grandfather's birthday banquet this Saturday. Mr. Morgan will be there-won't you come?"

He looked at her, lowering his gaze to glance at the gold-embossed invitation in his hand, then smiled lightly. "You're the only one who received an invitation personally delivered by the Locke family."

"So?"

"In the past, whenever Mr. Morgan attended events, he was usually accompanied

by assistants. But now, I hear he has a fiancée. Do you think he'll bring her along?"