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

Lila awkwardly touched her nose, but since they were already home, the two of them simply decided to have lunch together. She felt a little uncomfortable sitting at the table, especially when Cindy flashed her a knowing smile.

After lunch, she wasted no time in pulling him away. "Be more careful next time!" she said as she settled into the car, exhaling slightly.

Kieran chuckled, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "So... will I still get my reward tonight?"

Lila nearly bit her tongue. "We'll talk about that later tonight! Mr. Morgan, surely you know the saying-good things come to those who wait."

She said it with a perfectly straight face, but the more she thought about her choice of words, the more they felt off. Worried that the conversation would take a turn in the wrong direction, she wisely shut her mouth.

Kieran's smile, on the other hand, widened. His voice was low and teasing. "I'll be sure to enjoy my reward tonight, then." Lila went completely silent.

After dropping her off at Magi Pictures, Kieran headed back.

That afternoon, as Lila sat in her office sorting through documents, she found herself zoning out. Staring at the blank sheets of paper in front of her, her mind inexplicably wandered to what would happen that night.

Then, she pressed her fingers against her temples and thought, "I'm seriously losing it!"

In the evening, a message from Kieran popped up on her phone. "I'll pick you up soon."

Her fingers hovered over the screen for a moment before another message came in. "Landon wants to hang out for a bit. You can invite Amelia if you like."

Lila smacked her forehead. So, she was the one with the dirty mind! She then texted Amelia but didn't bother asking Jamie and Teddy since she already knew they were busy.

When she arrived at the meeting spot, she was surprised to see Michael and Matthew sitting with Amelia, casually chatting. Well, mostly Michael. Matthew, on

the other hand, was quietly peeling peanuts.

When he noticed Lila approaching,

he instinctively offered her a

handful. Dila hesitated for a

moment. Assuming she didn't like peeling them herself Matthew grabbed some of the ones he had already shelled and handed them to her instead. noveldrama

This time, she accepted them but couldn't help wondering if he was a little too quiet. Could it be... social anxiety? But then she glanced at Michael, the ultimate social butterfly, and figured if Matthew could hang out with him, he was probably fine.

Lila was about to eat the peanuts in her hands when she saw Michael reach out in front of Matthew, eyes scanning the empty plate beside him. He froze. "Hey... who ate my peanuts?"

Lila inhaled sharply when he realized Michael had been treating Matthew like his personal assistant this whole time. "Michael," she deadpanned. "He's my artist, not your personal servant."

Michael stroked his chin. "Nonsense. We're best buds! Now, give me back my peanuts!"

"You're not eating anything else today," she declared. "Or I'll talk to Mr. Jordan and get your manager to follow you around every day!"

Michael was about to protest, but as soon as he lifted his gaze and saw Kieran approaching from behind, he instantly shut his mouth.

Kieran reached out and ruffled Lila's hair. He had been momentarily held up by Landon, and in the short time he was gone, she had already turned into a feisty little kitten.

His cold gaze flickered toward Michael, who immediately straightened up. "Fine, whatever you say goes! Not like I'm hungry anyway." Amelia nearly choked on laughter at how fast Michael backed down.

It was just a casual get-together with friends. Everyone was aware that Kieran wasn't the biggest fan of such events, but over time, they had gotten used to his quiet presence.

Before coming, Lila had changed into a dress with delicate ribbon details on the sleeves, tied into a small bow. Landon invited Kieran because he wanted to help him logsen tip, knowing that he been stressed over the company issues. Hence, he made sure to get Kieran involved in every game.